Bihar: No liquor sale near religious places

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has taken a New Year resolution — to remove all liquor shops near schools and religious places across the state.

From January 15, the Bihar government will start identifying liquor shops located within 500 metres of schools, mosques and temples and remove or relocate them with immediate effect. Licensed ones will be relocated and unlicensed ones will be removed.

He also ordered banning of ‘provocative advertisements’ at liquor shops. Henceforth, all liquor shops will display a mandatory warning — “drinking is injurious to health”.

In 2007, Nitish Kumar had liberalised the excise policy due to which liquor shops had mushroomed across the state.

It became a major issue in the recent elections with Opposition parties and minority community targeting Nitish Kumar during campaigning.