Bihar asks Centre to check smuggling of liquor at airports

The Nitish Kumar government is leaving no stone unturned to plug the loopholes in the implementation liquor ban. M I Khan reports.

Bihar has sought Centre's help to check smuggling of liquor by air passengers at the two airports in the state, officials said on Thursday.

The state has imposed a complete ban on manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol including Indian Made Foreign Liquor in the state from April 5. The government led by Nitish Kumar is not in a mood to tolerate any violation of the ban in the state.

"The state government has requested the Union ministry of civil aviation to check smuggling of liquor into Bihar. It is keen to make provisions for scanning check in baggage of all incoming passengers at Patna and Gaya airports and to check for illicit liquor being smuggled into the state," said an official in chief minister office.

Bihar Chief Mecretary Anjani Kumar Singh in his letter to the ministry of civil aviation said that provisions may be made for scanning of check in baggage that comes out at Patna and Gaya airports so that the local Central Industrial Security Force personnel is able to detect any illicit liquor being brought to the state through the air route.

The state government is also willing to extend infrastructure facilities like baggage x-ray screening machines at airports to enable the CISF to speedily scan incoming cabin baggage or cargo.

The government wanted that the two airports in the state to put up a notice board at their exit points wherein passengers were suitably warned that carrying liquor into the state was an offence.

According to officials, the police have been asked to strictly check entry of liquor from neighbouring states like Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring country, Nepal into Bihar.

The police headquarters has directed police officials near border areas to ensure round the clock checking and action to stop likely entry of liquor into the state.

Patna zone IG (police) N H Khan said that special orders had been issued to superintendent of police of districts bordering Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

"I have directed SPs to maintain strict vigil to ensure that liquor not smuggled from neighbouring districts of Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh," said Khan.

Khan said if police officials found negligence in implementing prohibition would be punished.

Nitish Kumar has repeatedly said that there will be no compromise to take action against those found violating the ban.

More than 900 people have been arrested since the ban came into effect for violation of excise law.

A senior police official told Rediff.com that two cases -- an FIR against ruling Congress MLA Vinay Verma, who was caught in a sting operation purportedly offering liquor to his guests and arrest of seven businessmen from Gujarat, who were later sent to jail after found consuming liquor in a posh hotel in Patna -- are clear proof of seriousness to enforce prohibition.

Nitish is upbeat after crime graph is showing decline in Bihar following the ban.

Crime rates have dropped by 27 percent and road accidents by 33 percent in state after the ban came into effect.