Patna, June 28 : Prohibition is force in Bihar for over 6 years now but trade, transportation, and consumption of liquor is still taking place in several districts of the state, as per the latest data.
As per the data, Bihar Police has recovered over 13.87 lakh litres of illicit alcohol from different districts from January to May this year. This includes 8, 15, 113 litres of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and 5,72,115 litres of ‘country-made’ liquor.
A total of 36,120 FIRs related to liquor trade, transportation, and consumption were registered, 47,249 people arrested, and 5,634 vehicles used for smuggling of liquor seized.
The maximum seizure of liquor was made from Patna district – 1,36,485 litres, followed by 89,944 litres in Vaishali, 75,688 in Samastipur, 75,294 in Saran and 69,327 in Aurangabad districts.
A maximum of 4,580 offenders were arrested from Patna, 3,045 from Muzaffarpur, 3,005 from Saran, 2,293 from East Champaran, and 1,849 offenders from Gopalganj districts in this period.
Commissioner, Excise and Liquor Prohibition, B. Kartikeya Dhanji, said: “The Department, along with Bihar Police, have taken several measures to keep check on liquor trade and consumption. Patrolling in the highly sensitive areas, especially in the banks of rivers, is very challenging. We are using motorboats in 10 districts for the joint patrols of local police and the anti-liquor task force. The joint teams of Bihar Police, the anti-liquor task force, and the Excise Department have dismantled several makeshift liquor manufacturing units in Bihar as well.”(IANS)