Rashtriya Lok Morcha MLA seeks review of liquor law

Patna: Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) MLA Madhav Anand on Tuesday sought a “detailed review” of the liquor prohibition law enacted 10 years ago by the then Grand Alliance govt headed by Nitish Kumar. The govt, however, rejected the demand. RLM is an ally of the ruling NDA in the state.Anand raised the issue while participating in the House debate on the budgetary demand of the rural development department in the presence of the CM.“It is 10 years since the prohibition law was enacted. The CM is present in the House. My suggestion is that the govt should make a detailed review of the law,” Anand said.“The law has been passed, but the liquor is available through home delivery. The consumption of dry drugs has also increased among youths and school children. An assessment should be made as to what we have gained and lost in the last ten years. The state has also lost the revenue from the sale of liquor,” he added.Later, speaking to media persons outside the House, parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary rejected the demand. “The prohibition law was passed by the consent of the entire House and members of all the parties,” he said.Meanwhile, two RLM functionaries and another from the RJD, along with their supporters, joined the Congress in the presence of AICC in-charge for the state Krishna Allavaru and state Congress chief Rajesh Ram at the party’s state headquarters on Tuesday.Among those who joined were RLM state vice-president Jitendra Nath Thakur and his son Rahul Kumar, who was the RLM state spokesman, as well as social worker Neelam Parween, aligned with the RJD.