RLSP urges Bihar govt to change alcohol policy

The Rashtriya Lok Samta Party has said Bihar should scrap its total ban on alcohol and instead make changes to its alcohol policy similar to rules in Uttar Pradesh.

New Delhi: National Secretary-General of the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Madhaw Anand, on Monday said Bihar too must toe the line of Uttar Pradesh, which has approved a new excise policy making it mandatory to have a license to keep liquor over the prescribed limit at home.

Anand said the Uttar Pradesh government's decision is a welcome step, as it will be beneficial for alcohol consumers and will also lead to higher revenues for the state government.

The RLSP leader said that Bihar, where a complete alcohol ban is currently imposed, must also think along similar lines.

Claiming that the alcohol ban in Bihar was merely namesake, Anand said instead of a complete ban, the state government must think about taking concrete steps like Uttar Pradesh to increase its revenue.

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has now made it mandatory to have a license to keep liquor over the prescribed limit at home.

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As per the revised excise policy in Uttar Pradesh, "individuals will have to obtain a license to purchase, transport or keep in private possession liquor in excess of the prescribed retail limit."

According to the new policy, the limit of purchasing, transport, or private possession of only six litres of alcohol per person or in a house is fixed.

In order to consume more liquor than this, a license has to be obtained from the Excise Department.

The Excise Department will provide the license at an annual fee of Rs 12,000 while Rs 51,000 will have to be deposited as security money under the stipulated conditions.

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