Patna,(BiharTimes): The Nitish Kumar government is caught in a fix over its own prohibition policy. Weeks after announcing total ban on the sale of liquor the state government’s Bihar State Beverage Corporation Ltd issued a series of tenders in which applications have been invited to open government liquor shops. But they will only be able to sell Indian-made foreign liquor and not country-made one.

According to BSBCL tender, the state has invited applications for opening of government shops in the lands provided by the contractors with special provisions like two CCTV cameras, table, chairs, storage facility, pick up vans, electric connections, bathrooms among others. The only hurdle for the applicants is that they would not be able to sell country-made) liquor.

Political observers are interpreting it as a U-turn in the state government’s policy as first the excise minister Abdul Jalil Mastan and then chief minister Nitish Kumar publicly declared that there would be total ban on the sale of liquor in Bihar.

Only on Wednesday the country-made liquor shopowners paraded on the streets of Patna protesting against the state government new policy of partial prohibition. Later one of their delegations met the RJD Lalu Prasad, who reportedly assured that there would be total ban on the sale of liquor. 

Many within the ruling alliance, especially in RJD, appear to be surprised over this volte face in the excise policy.