Union Minister Chirag Paswan calls for review prohibition in Bihar

Union Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan has urged a comprehensive review of Bihar’s ten year old liquor prohibition law, saying enforcement gaps must be identified and corrected to ensure the policy fulfils its original objectives.

Speaking to reporters in Patna, Paswan emphasised that a periodic assessment of the prohibition statute is necessary not for weakening the ban but for strengthening its implementation. He clarified that calls for review should not be interpreted as support for lifting the ban itself.

The Union Minister reiterated his commitment to curbing alcoholism, underlining that addiction adversely affects families and wider society. He pointed to recurring incidents of spurious liquor consumption and alleged illegal distribution mechanisms as reasons why the law’s enforcement must be examined.

Bihar’s prohibition law was enacted in 2016 with the intent of reducing alcohol related social harms, but enforcement challenges and repeated reports of spurious alcohol deaths have kept the issue in public debate.