Alcohol ban in Indian state faces enforcement challenges amid black market boom

Nine years after Bihar, India’s poorest state, imposed a statewide alcohol ban to curb addiction, domestic violence, and financial hardship, officials continue to struggle with enforcement.

The gaps in implementation were evident during a recent BBC-shadowed raid on illegal distilleries. Armed excise officers, with a sniffer dog, raided a riverside setup near Patna fermenting jaggery into country liquor. Vapour still rose from the drums, though the operators had fled before the officers arrived, BBC writes. 

“They often get tipped off before a raid,” one officer said.

Prohibition, passed in 2016 by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after pressure from women’s groups, remains politically popular. It contributed to his alliance’s decisive victory in state elections earlier this month. Officials point to enforcement statistics, claiming 1.1 million cases registered and 650,000 convictions. However, over 99% of convictions target consumption, not production, sale, or transport.

Despite these numbers, illicit alcohol remains widely available. In the six weeks leading to the election, authorities seized illicit liquor worth more than 522 million rupees ($6.26 million). Local police cite staff shortages, sophisticated smuggling methods, and possible collusion as barriers.

“There are laws that prescribe life imprisonment or even the death penalty for murder. But does that stop people from committing murder? No, it doesn't,” said Ratnesh Sada, an outgoing minister.

Excise officials also stress the difficulty of containment.

“We destroy these setups, but within days they are up and running again,” said Sunil Kumar. Bihar’s porous borders with Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Nepal further complicate enforcement.

Despite enforcement issues, many women in Bihar support the ban. Lalmunni Devi, who lost her husband to toxic liquor in 2022, said: “I just hope no one else has to suffer the same fate.”

Neetu Devi, another widow, added: “If the government were to shut down all such factories entirely, it [liquor] would no longer be available. It continues to be produced, and that's why people keep consuming it.”

Rajeev Kamal Kumar, an anthropologist who studied prohibition, acknowledged the mixed impact.

“Many women and elders say prohibition has improved household finances, children's education, and nutrition. But it is undeniable that illegal trade continues,” he said.

Bihar is not alone in grappling with the challenges of prohibition. Gujarat, Nagaland, and Mizoram have all faced persistent bootlegging and economic losses linked to bans. Critics argue that while prohibition aims to improve social welfare, it often shifts the problem underground and drains state resources.

For now, with the outgoing government expected to return to power, prohibition will remain. Yet whether the policy has genuinely reformed society or merely fueled a thriving black market remains an unresolved question.

By Sabina Mammadli