Overview
- A National Council of Applied Economic Research paper presented at the India Policy Forum last week recommended ending Bihar’s 2016 statewide prohibition and estimated the state loses about 14–15% of annual revenue because of the ban.
- The report says the ban has expanded illicit liquor networks, increased use of alternative intoxicants, and failed to produce clear drops in crimes against women, and it urged reinstating regulated sales and excise duties to free enforcement resources and raise funds.
- Janata Dal (United) leaders have publicly rejected any review of the law, with senior MLC Neeraj Kumar saying prohibition brought measurable gains for rural women and therefore should remain in place.
- Voices inside the ruling coalition, including Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and other smaller allies, have called for either a Gujarat‑style stricter enforcement model or a formal review of implementation to curb official misuse and smuggling.
- Official enforcement figures show more than 1.1 million prohibition cases and large seizures of country and foreign liquor since 2016, and persistent illicit trade and occasional hooch tragedies mean full repeal is politically difficult even as critics press for fiscal and regulatory change.