Bihar: Kin of all hooch tragedy victims since 2016 to be compensated

Patna, April 17 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announced that the kin of victims of all the hooch tragedies since April 2016 - when a liqour ban was imposed -, will be duly compensated.

The decision follows yet another spurious liquor tragedy in East Champaran.

Chief Minister Kumar decided to provide compensation to the family members of the victims on Tuesday.

An ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh will be granted to the family members of the deceased from Chief Minister Relief Fund.

Nitish Kumar also said that ex-gratia will be given to all family members of the victims who lost their lives in hooch tragedy since the liquor ban was imposed in April 2016.

"We have initiated a large number of public awareness campaigns in the state to inform people about its consequences. Still, deaths due to hooch tragedies are being reported. Some of the victims are lone bread earners of their families. We have decided to give compensation to all victim families of present and past hooch tragedies. The victims have to submit an application before authorities with a pledge to not to touch alcohol. Liquor is a wrong thing. An ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh will be given to them from the chief minister relief fund," Kumar said.

"We have arrested many accused involved in liquor operations. The liquor was banned in Bihar in the past and was restarted. I have imposed a ban in 2016 and it has completed 7 years. Now, we are in the eight years of liquor ban. A large number of people have quit liquor. We are working on it and taking strong action against the accused," Kumar said.

In the past, Nitish Kumar had denied several requests for compensation. This sudden U-turn is being attributed to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Also, as per sources, that the liquor ban in the state failed due to its ill implementation is not an open secret.

Recently, 31 people were killed in villages under five police stations in Bihar's East Champaran district in a hooch tragedy. The victims have consumed liquor on Thursday evening and deaths are taking place continuously.

Twenty people are undergoing treatment in different hospitals of the district of which five are stated to be critical. Eight people have lost their eyesight forever.