Bihar cabinet approves amendment to prohibition law

Patna : The Bihar Cabinet on Wednesday approved proposed amendments to the prohibition law to curb its misuse, an official said.

"The state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has approved amendment to the prohibition law to curb its misuse," said an official in the Chief Minister's Office. The proposed amendment seeks to remove stringent provisions sending the entire family to jail if liquor was found in their house.

Nitish Kumar has repeatedly said that a bill amending the prohibition law to be curb its misuse will be brought during the state assembly's monsoon session in July but asserted that prohibition will continue.

After being repeatedly attacked by opposition over failure of prohibition, he had admitted the some provisions were being misused and announced that the law would be amended.

Opposition leaders have alleged that Dalits and OBCs were being arrested and harassed by police in the name of prohibition.

More than 1.5 lakh persons have been arrested for violating liquor prohibition in Bihar till date since it was imposed on April 5, 2016.