Six months ahead deadline, Bihar goes dry from today

Announcing the move after a two-,hour meeting, the chief minister  said the response to a partial ban made him to advance the total prohibition for "social change.".

Starting  Tuesday,  no alcohol can be legally sold in Bihar through liquor vends or in bars and restaurants.

"In the first four days of the ban on country liquor it has become a social movement. Even in cities women are opposing government run shops selling liquor as we had planned to start for the next six months. And so I feel this is the right time for social change in Bihar,"  Kumar said.

On Friday, the state government had announced a ban on country liquor as phase 1 towards full prohibition and the chief minister had promised to phase out sale and consumption of all alcohol within six months.  

Replying a question on how the government will make up for the revenue losses, Kumar said he did not want revenues.

While Bihar's 243 state legislators had formally vowed to "stay away from alcohol" when the new law was passed, thousands of policemen in the state lined up and pledged on Monday not to drink alcohol and to ensure successful prohibition.

As the ban on country liquor - which provides for the death penalty for those caught manufacturing or selling countrymade and spurious liquor - came into force, all shops selling country liquor in rural areas and cities were shut down.

The police have set up a control room in Patna, which will function round the clock to ensure the implementation of the new law.