Overview

• Bihar’s alcohol prohibition has been enforced since 2016 under Nitish Kumar’s Prohibition and Excise Act, closing shops but failing to halt illicit distribution.
• Prashant Kishor of the Jan Suraaj Party is calling for an immediate repeal of the ban, citing its ineffectiveness and significant revenue losses.
• Tejashwi Yadav has vowed to revoke the toddy prohibition and grant it official industry status under a future INDIA bloc government.
• Opposition leaders and activists contend that the prohibition law has been misused to harass poor, Dalit and Pasi communities through punitive enforcement.
• Enforcement gaps remain evident as home delivery networks continue to supply liquor despite the closure of retail outlets.