Patna: Giving up to the sustained political pressure, chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announced an ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh for each family of those who died after consuming spurious liquor since 2016 – when he imposed prohibition in Bihar.
The Janata Dal (United) leader had so far rejected demands for compensation victims of hooch tragedies. In December last year, when more than 80 people died in Chhapra, Nitish said: “Piyesh to marega” (if you’ll drink, you’ll die.”
As the death toll in the Motihari hooch tragedy rose to 22 on Monday morning, Nitish, however, softened his stance to declare that he was “pained” to see so many deaths despite his government’s efforts to discourage people from consuming liquor.
“After deliberation with officers concerned, I have decided to provide a compensation of ₹4 lakh each to families of such victims from the Chief Minister Relief Fund. And it’ll be effective from the beginning of the implementation (of the liquor prohibition),” he told reporters in Patna.
To avail the benefit, an affected family will need to give a written undertaking to the district magistrate, giving details of the death and pledging to keep the family away from liquor consumption.
CM Nitish said: “We made it clear that anyone caught consuming alcohol illegally would face consequences. We always said that drinking causes harm. When people drink poison, it’s very unfortunate.”
According to government figures, 243 people have died due to the consumption of poisonous liquor since 2016 with 2021 reporting the maximum number of deaths at 90.
In the past, Nitish has faced sharp criticism for enforcing a “flawed” policy of banning liquor in Bihar. After 80 deaths in Chhapra in December 2022, several state BJP leaders demanded that the chief minister be booked every time any person dies of spurious liquor. Many argue that the liquor prohibition law has forced people to drink unsafe and illegally-manufactured liquor in the absence of quality alcohol in a state where drinking is rampant.
Not just opposition parties, the prohibition law has also faced flak from legislators of the ruling Mahagathbandhan alliance. In December, a senior RJD leader publicly made fun of Bihar’s policy of a ban on liquor sale.