Author: Ayushree Khettry.

1st April 2016 the Bihar government imposed complete Prohibition on manufacture, sale, storage and consumption of alcohol and intoxicants in the territory of the State. While its implementation was highly criticised, there was a side for which it was deemed as a necessity. The plight of Susha Devi and many other women were addressed during 2015’s campaigning period where chief minister promised ban on alcohol if he won the elections.

This announcement was a significant departure from the government’s very own 2005 excise policy. 2005 was the year when state budget stood at just 27000 crore with limited source of revenue generation. The government’s solution then was increasing the sale of liquor by targeting number of shops in panchayats. This initiative led the number of shops to increase from 3,436 in 2006-07 to 5,467 in 2012-13, with villages reporting an increase of over 200 percent. This turned out to be a boon for state budget as excise revenue went up from Rs 500 crore in 2006 to Rs 6,000 crore in 2015.

The rapid increase in revenue was short-lived, as new elections in Bihar brought about a change in its ideologies. New law in Bihar was to be now launched on the principle of following the components of Directive principles of State Policy and Gandhian beliefs and was named Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act. This act came with stringent punishments like imposition of a community fine and the arrest of all the family members if one of them was caught consuming alcohol. The law since then has been amended thrice and the first offenders now can get away with a fine between 2000 to 5000 rupees.

Since 2016, the law has faced challenges in maintaining strict enforcement, and discussions in the Assembly have revealed its shortcomings. The constant amendments in laws and it is becoming more and more lenient according to me is another way to take a ‘U-turn’ from the current supported ideology, as vividly seen from the year 2005. The uncertainty in the coalitions and political distress may point to that fact that it may be a complete political move to win the election. This switch of ideologies is not something we can investigate in isolation. 2015’s Bihar Legislative Assembly election was a tough year for JDU to get re-elected. While RJD and BJP banked on caste groups for votes, JDU without an exclusive caste behind its back chose to bank on women voters.

Initially the prohibition was supposed to be carried out in two phases- Phase 1 of the prohibition was to be directed at shutting down all the liquor in rural areas and Phase 2 was where they would extend it to the whole of state within the completion of six months of phase 1. But this phased out and a well thought plan was quickly dissolved when women in the state welcomed the decision, the second phase was implemented before the scheduled time. Dividing implementation into two phases gives enough time for the implementing body to evaluate and revise the given policy. This raises questions about whether this was a hasty decision or a lack of foresight.

Let’s now talk about excise and taxes, taxes from alcohol have always been a major component in sustaining the state’s economy. In fact, in times of need it is the alcohol that states turn to, to get out in case of a slump. But Bihar’s already small treasury was put into jeopardy with its decision for the prohibition. It’s excise revenue for the year 2015-16 stood at Rs 3,142 crore. The following year, it crashed to Rs 46 crore. And, absolute zero in 2017-18.

Bihar’s losses in this case have been its neighbour’s gain. Bihar shares its borders with states like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal. While Bihar is preoccupied by making up for the 4000 crores of revenue it loses every year, states like Jharkhand and West Bengal has seen unprecedent rise in their excise revenue. Jharkhand for instance has its numbers rise from Rs 912 crores in 2015-2016 to Rs 1600 in 2017-2018. West Bengal has seen even more staggering growth, from Rs 4014 crore in 2015-2016 to Rs 5781 crore in 2017-2018. It is not just the revenue that the state is losing, it is losing the trust of marginal communities and the masses that deal with the addiction. When the administration outlawed country liquor and Indian-Made Foreign Liquor which includes locally produced whiskey, gin, and rum, it came with the assumption that it will help to gain support from existing support bases and help gain new ones. In this process, seemingly one of the government’s core supporters, the Maha Dalits, the poorest of the Dalit groups were alienated. This community earned all their income from producing the majority of country booze, prohibition has eliminated a significant source of revenue for them. Similarly, the condition of Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes and Other Backward Classes is not far off, they have become the main targets to denote the efficiency of police and the administration. An analysis by the Indian express brings forward a harsh reality. When share of inmate population in the eight centrals, 32 district and 17 sub jails across Bihar were taken into account, Scheduled Castes, made up 27.1 per cent of arrests, Scheduled Tribes make up 6.8 per cent and the OBC share stood at 34.4 per cent.

Alcohol ban brought with it the externality of people shifting and getting addicted to drugs. While all the attention was and yet remains on alcohol, the easy accessibility to drugs is left unwatched and addicts overlooked. A pilot study carried out in 2017, by a team of three doctors had found that over 25% of habitual drinkers shifted to substances like toddy, ganja (Marijuana), charas etc after the ban. There is no better way to look at the growth and prevalence of drugs than look at Narcotics Control Bureau. The data shows a tremendous rise in drugs seized by the authorities in Bihar, indicating a shift from alcohol to substance abuse. There has been a 2700 per cent rise in the seizures of Ganja, from 14 kg in 2015 to 10,800 Kg in 2016 to 27395 in 2021. Hashish recovery has increased from 0 kg in 2015 to 115 kg in 2016 to 363 in 2021. Looking at the data one might assume that there are de-addiction facilities in place in the state but that not very true. There was a small announcement of government establishing a 10-bed facility in all its 38 districts, but one must question whether these 380 beds will be sufficient to cater to the needs of the thousands of individuals grappling with addiction in Bihar.

To summarize, what started with a good intention has created a huge mishap. The policies objectives and aims have yielded a complete opposite result. Domestic violence what was the inherent issue they wanted to address has actually increased from 40.2% of women experiencing domestic violence in 2015-2016 to 40.6% in 2019-2020. The crime rate against women again, has seen a rise from total reported cases from 13891 in 2015 to 17950 in 2021. Complete prohibition on alcohol for the state seems as a distant dream since 15% of the men in state yet consume alcohol.

Bihar’s bold move towards alcohol prohibition was met with both support and criticism, reflecting the complexity of the issue. While the policy aimed to address pressing social problems, its journey has been marked by challenges and unintended consequences. The evolving nature of the policy, with multiple amendments, underscores the need for a comprehensive and adaptable approach. The significant decline in state revenue, the economic impact on marginalized communities, and the emergence of substance abuse as an alternative concern all demand careful consideration. Instead of solely attributing social issues to alcohol, a nuanced strategy that delves into root causes is essential. Bihar’s prohibition journey serves as a reminder that addressing complex societal problems requires thoughtful planning, continuous evaluation, and adaptability to changing circumstances.

Ayushree Khettry