Temperance Board for Bihar-like ban on liquor in state

The State Temperance Board will submit its report to the government by the end of the month, recommending complete ban on sale of liquor in the state on the lines of Bihar, said its chairman H V Rudrappa.

peaking to reporters after a review meeting here on Thursday, Rudrappa said as per the suggestion by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Board members visited Bihar and had studied the ban on sale of liquor there.

There was a need for political will power to ban sale of liquor in the state. Bihar had witnessed progress after liquor sale was banned. The state had been getting a revenue of Rs 18,000 crore from the sale of liquor. The government should explore with experts measures to compensate for the revenue loss, if liquor sale was banned and that too would be included in the report, he said.

In 2012, more than four crore women started a movement demanding a ban on liquor in Bihar and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar banned liquor in 2015. Such a movement was required here too as it would help more than six crore people lead a peaceful life. We hope that the state government responds positively to the recommendations of the Board, Rudrappa said.

He said the government would also be requested to include a topic on demerits of consuming liquor in pre-university and degree college syllabus.

A detailed report, along with statistics, regarding the benefits of the ban on sale of liquor would be submitted. Meetings were held at all district centres. There was a demand for ban on liquor across the state, Rudrappa said.