Bihar has had a prohibition policy in place for nearly a decade, but the latest figures from the state's Excise and Police departments revealed the massive scale of enforcement under the law. According to a joint achievement report, more than 51.3 million (510 lakh) litres of liquor have been seized and over 17 lakh people arrested in Bihar over the past 10 years. A total of 1,191,301 cases were registered during the period covered by the report, highlighting the extensive enforcement activity carried out since prohibition came into effect.
Over 51 million litres of liquor seized in 10 years
The figures cover the period from April 2016 to June 2026. During these 10 years, authorities arrested 1,791,689 people and seized a total of 51,312,989 litres of liquor. Of the liquor seized, 26,432,438 litres were country-made liquor, while 24,880,552 litres were foreign liquor. The combined seizure stood at 51,312,989 litres. The figures provide a glimpse into the scale of the illegal liquor trade that enforcement agencies have been dealing with despite the state's prohibition policy.
What did Bihar's Prohibition Minister say?
Bihar Prohibition Minister Madan Sahni has ruled out any possibility of the state's prohibition policy being withdrawn. Speaking to India TV, Sahni said there was no question of bringing an end to prohibition in the state and urged people not to believe rumours circulating on social media.
"There is no possibility of prohibition being withdrawn in Bihar, not even remotely. People should not spread false rumours on social media. There are several other options for generating revenue," Sahni said. The minister also said the government would take action against liquor manufacturing companies if illegal liquor is found. "The Bihar government will now file an FIR against the company manufacturing liquor if illegal liquor is seized," Sahni said.
Madan Sahni rejects Gujarat model suggestion
Sahni also responded to Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's suggestion that Bihar should adopt the Gujarat model of prohibition. "There is no need for the Gujarat model. The model of former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is being followed here and will continue in the future. Prohibition has not failed in Bihar," Sahni said. His remarks came two days after Jitan Ram Manjhi called for Bihar to follow Gujarat's approach to prohibition.
"We would like to tell Samrat Choudhary that Bihar should have prohibition like the Gujarat model," Manjhi had said. Gujarat also has a prohibition policy and its implementation has frequently been a subject of discussion. However, Bihar's Prohibition Minister has made it clear that the state government does not see any need to replicate Gujarat's model.
What did NCAER say about Bihar's prohibition policy?
The debate over prohibition has also featured in discussions about Bihar's economic growth. The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), in a report on Bihar's development presented at the 'India Policy Forum-2026' event, had recommended ending the prohibition law as one of the measures that could contribute to faster economic growth in the state. Responding to the recommendation, Sahni said the Bihar government did not need to act on such a report. "We do not need to act on any report. We know how much benefit prohibition has provided," he said.
Illegal liquor seizures continue
Despite the prohibition policy and extensive enforcement measures, cases involving illegal liquor continue to surface in the state. Recently, 6,132 litres of foreign liquor were reportedly seized in Vaishali, once again highlighting the challenge faced by enforcement agencies in preventing the illegal supply and sale of alcohol.
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