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Bihar ban leads to booze biz boom in border towns
An increasing number of Indians are coming to bordering Nepali towns just to enjoy drinksDilli Ram Khatiwada & Abadhesh Kumar Jha
A ban on the sales of alcohol by India’s Bihar state government has resulted in flourishing liquor business in bordering Nepali towns.
An increasing number of Indians are coming to Nepali towns like Biratnagar, Itahari, Bhedetar, and Rajbiraj just to enjoy drinks.
Bihar’s State Assembly passed the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Bill, which has provisioned severe punishment for producing, selling and consuming alcohol in the state. The law, which came into effect from April 1, has provisioned capital punishment if alcohol consumption leads to death. If a person is found consuming alcohol in public places, s/he has to face a jail term of up to 10 years. Even if a person consumes alcohol in home, but causes public inconveniences, s/he has to go to jail for five years, as per the new law. Those involved in forcing women and children in illegal liquor trade should serve a jail term of seven years. Even property can be frozen or confiscated of those involving in illegal alcohol trade, according to the law. “The number Indians visiting Nepal just for the purpose of drinking has surged significantly,” said Inspector Jageshwor Bhandari of Area Police Post, Rani, in Biratnagar. “After the ban in Bihar, restaurants serving liquors here have seen a business boom.”
Sunil Gupta, a Biratnagar-based trader, alcohol consumption is on the rise after the Bihar government banned alcohol. He said around 100 Indians visit the Rani area for having drinks every day.
Besides restaurants, even hotels have benefited as some Indians also stay overnight because they cannot cross the border into India by consuming alcohol. “Rich Indians stay in expensive hotels, while low-income people go for budget ones,” said Raju Shrestha, a local businessman, adding some of them also stay in their relatives’ houses in Nepal.
In areas like Koshi Barrage, Kunauli, and Sakhada, huge crowds of Indians looking for alcohol can be seen. Niraj Kumar Jha, a local residing near the Kunauli Customs Office, said even the people from bigger Bihar towns like Patna, Darbhanga and Samastipur come to Rajbiraj and other bordering towns in Nepal.
Nepali security officials, however, said the trend could have serious security implication. “Chances are high that Indians having criminal mindset, besides the general public, could enter Nepal,” said a police official at District Police Office, Saptari.