Bihar Minister Shrawan Kumar said in the Assembly on Tuesday that liquor claimed 156 lives since 2016 in the state and reiterated of taking stern action against the liquor mafias.
Intervening during the reply to the supplementary of a short noticed question of Ramanuj Prasad in the house, Kumar said that strong action was being initiated against the culprits violating the prohibition law. He said apart from putting guilty persons behind the bars their properties were also being attached.
The Minister said that the government was also concentrating on rehabilitation of those who had taken up manufacturing and sale of liquor. For this Rs 2 lakh was being given to each such family including the poor one for their rehabilitation.
To this, the leader of opposition in the assembly Tejaswi Prasad Yadav asked the Minister to explain whether the casualties figure was of the entire state or belonged to three districts. Kumar, replying to Yadav’s query said that in case of any anomaly, the figure would be corrected.
Yadav alleged that no action was being taken against the powerful liquor mafias and trucks as well as other vehicles loaded with liquors were being transported. He also blamed the police for its connivance in such activities. Even after review meetings on the execution of the prohibition law held regularly by the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar himself, no action was taken against the powerful mafias.
Earlier, when the house was assembled for the day, the newly elected BJP MLA Vishal Prashant from Tarari Constituency was administered oath in the house.
