CM Nitish Kumar Calls for Fresh Campaign Against Liquor
Staff Reporter / PATNA
The death toll in the Bihar hooch tragedy has climbed to 38 on Saturday even as chief minister Nitish Kumar called for a fresh awareness campaign against the consumption of liquor in the dry state. Police have made arrests and errant officials have been punished in connection with the sale of illicit liquor. So far, 15 people have died in Bettiah, 11 in Gopalganj, and six each in Muzzafarpur and Hajipur.
Officials in West Champaran and Gopalganj districts, however, claimed that only 25 deaths could be confirmed to have been caused by the consumption of spurious liquor. According to Champaran Range DIG Pranav Kumar Pravin, some people are undergoing treatment at Government Medical College and Hospital in Bettiah.
The hospital’s superintendent Pramod Tiwari said, “Among those who have died, three were brought dead. Bodies are being handed over to bereaved family members after post-mortem examinations.” A 70-year-old person undergoing treatment lost his eyesight on Friday morning — a common side-effect of consumption of illicit liquor
In another such incident, four persons died at a village in Samastipur, allegedly after drinking alcohol. Police said post-mortems were being conducted. “People involved in the matter will be traced. We appealed villagers to inform police if anyone is sick,” said Samastipur SP Manavjit Dhillon.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said that action is being taken against people who prepare spurious liquor.
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav had earlier termed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s liquor ban law as “complete failure.”