Ahead of Holi, Dry Bihar Sees Spike in Liquor Demand

As the festive season of Holi approaches, dry Bihar is witnessing massive trafficking of liquor. The soaring demand for liquor is visible with people trying to stock up on bottles at any rate to celebrate the festival of colour. On March 3, Siwan and Sitamarhi Police caught up a big liquor consignment which was on its way to be smuggled to meet the increasing demand. A truck ferrying 300 cartons was caught in Sitamarhi’s Dumra Chowk. On the same day, Siwan Policed seized a lorry containing 500 cartons of liquor worth Rs. 50 lakh.

According to data provided by the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Department, within the first week of March, huge consignments of liquor were seized in several districts – 4,203 litres from Muzaffarpur, Samastipur- 851 litres, Darbhanga- 558 litres, Madhubani- 334 litres, Banka- 312 litres, Begusarai- 120 litres, Nalanda- 113 litres and Kaimur- 103 litres.

As per the latest records of the Police Headquarters in Patna, a total of 47,395 cases were lodged in cases related to illegal liquor between April 2016 and January 2020, with total liquor seized amounting to 78,78,540 litres. The number of vehicles seized were 28,334 (heavy vehicles 10,085 and light vehicles 18,289), number of arrests - 2,12,323 (out of which 19, 674 were suppliers); convictions were 232; disciplinary action were initiated against 517 officials (including policemen); suspended officers were 454; dismissal from service were 73; FIRs were lodged against 44 Policemen and 10 inspectors were prohibited from SHO posting for 10 years.

Also read: In Dry Bihar, Policemen Indulge in Liquor Trade

While there is a high demand for Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) across the state, country-made liquor is also reaching to the rural masses with ease. Barun, a bootlegger based in Muzaffarpur district, told NewsClick, “As Holi celebrations are approaching, the rate of IMFL is set to spike. A bottle of whiskey is set to sell at Rs. 800, half at Rs. 400, quarter at Rs 200 and one carton at Rs. 7,000. The supply in villages is no less than in the city, in terms of safety and easy ferrying. In this festive season, anyone who smuggles liquor anywhere in Bihar will earn the highest in a month as its demand among common man are skyrocketing.”

An officer, on condition of anonymity, told NewsClick that Bihar government has constituted a special provision of an officers’ cell with 300-strength, while the full-fledged strength of Bihar Police remains at 85,000. “However,” he added, “this numerical strength seems to get outnumbered by unending incidences of liquor trafficking all round the state. The force is baffled over the changing modus operandi which the liquor mafias and bootleggers are using to smuggle liquor. Just last month, a water tanker in Saran district was caught with cartons of IMFL which could not be imagined. Similarly, ambulance, coffin, schools bag, bicycle tubes, fruit lorry, etc. are also being used for this purpose.”

As per a Bihar Home Guard constable, Muzzaffarpur and Vaihali district have become the epicentres of liquor trafficking. Pre-Holi raids are being vigilantly conducted under the orders of city Deputy Superintendent of Police which resulted in the recovery of three carton of liquors last week. Nearly all district Excise and Prohibition Department officials are strictly keeping a watch and raiding possible illegal outlets of liquor that are involved both in manufacturing and supply.

According to officials of the Excise and Prohibition Department, IMFL is mainly being smuggled from neighbouring states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and distant destinations of Haryana and Punjab. Some of the liquor is made domestically in Bihar as well. Several incidents of deaths due to consumption of country made liquor have been reported despite the prohibition of liquor in the state.

The Nitish Kumar led government had brought in the Excise and Prohibition Act 2016, under which manufacturing, sale and consumption is banned in the state.

Also read: Barabanki Hooch Tragedy: Main Accused Arrested, Liquor Shop Owner Still Absconding

The writer is an independent journalist and researcher.