Sir,

Total prohibition in Bihar has led to overcrowding in the jails as the number of violators of this law has outnumbered the number of jail cells available in Bihar.

The prohibition law came into effect in April, bringing out diverse opinions from different people. Some considered the law as draconian, while some voted in the favour.
According to Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, this law has been designed to ensure the security of women and for the social welfare. But with the law coming into force and restriction on the manufacture,sale and transport of liquor, it has punctured the economic condition of Bihar.
It has also lead to bootlegging, smuggling, illegal trade of liquor and deaths caused due to the consumption of hooch-a poor quality and illegally brewd liquor. Even after the strict enforcement of the law, the liquor supply hasn’t stop in the state resulting in the imprisonment of around 14,000 persons.
Around 58 jails are packed to capacity with the violators of the law. In Hajipur district jail, there are 760 prisoners detained which has space for 753 persons. Same is the case with Gaya Central Jail where 1,360 prisoners are languishing against a capacity of 1,478 persons. Similarly Beur Central Jail also consists of 2,445 prisoners more than its capacity and availability for 2,260 persons.
Altogether, 13,839 persons have been booked since the state was declared dry. This sudden increase in the violators is likely to lead to creating of new jails, separate wards and hospital jails.
And this unstoppable number of violators of the total prohibition raises the question whether the prohibition has been successful in the state? Did the prohibition bring social welfare as it promised ? Or was it implemented in full force just to fill up the empty bars?

Yours truly
Maimuna Shafique
Cems 3rd year
Communicative English with Media Studies

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