Drinking alcohol is considered sin by Mahatma Gandhi, says Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

Nitish Kumar. File Pic

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday called the people who drink alcohol as "sinners" while adding that it is considered a sin by Mahatama Gandhi, after the state legislative assembly passed Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

Speaking at the Bihar legislative assembly, "Somebody went to drink alcohol and died after drinking poisonous liquor, alcohol is bad. Liquor ban should be implemented."

Further, he said that Mahatma Gandhi has also said that it is bad to drink alcohol and he who does not listen to Bapu is a great sinner. Laws are made but no one follows them, he further stated.

Somebody went to drink alcohol and died after drinking poisonous liquor, alcohol is bad, he stated.

Earlier on Wednesday, The Bihar Legislative Assembly passed the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which empowers the state government to impose penalties for certain categories of offences instead of direct imprisonment.

The Bill permits the state government to prescribe fines, and imprisonment (in case of repeat offenders) for the consumption of liquor.

The Bill comes after the criticism of the Nitish Kumar government over the continuous increase in the number of cases pending in courts and undertrials in jails.

After the amendment, the offender will be presented before a duty magistrate, which will decide the seriousness of the offence.

After going through the circumstances, the magistrate can just impose a fine on the offender instead direct imprisonment, as prescribed earlier.

If the offender fails to pay the penalty then he/she will be liable to face imprisonment.

This is the third amendment in the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016. The first amendment to the act was brought in 2018 and then subsequently in 2020.

The Bill seeks to amend the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016 which enforces the complete prohibition of liquor and intoxicants in Bihar.

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