Prohibition in Bihar not very effective

According to data submitted to the Supreme Court by the Bihar government, the prohibition law in the state does not appear to have discouraged alcohol consumption or supply.

The report says that around 50 percent of the cases filed under the 2016 legislation were recorded in the last 1.5 years.

The state government filed an affidavit informing the court that more than 4.7 lakh cases were pending under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016, after being ordered by the top court to provide information on cases registered throughout the law's seven years of operation and case pendingness. According to the affidavit, 6.6 lakh cases were filed overall in 2016, of which 3.2 lakh were filed in the last 1.5 years.