NEW DELHI, Apr 17: In a U-turn from his earlier stand on hooch tragedies, the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announced compensation of ₹4 lakh each to family members of those who died in hooch incidents since 2016. Kumar made the announcement after the death toll in the Motihari hooch incident in East Champaran district went up to 27 after consuming spurious liquor on Friday night.
In December, last Kumar had categorically told the state Assembly that there was no question of giving compensation to those who died after consuming illicit liquor and stressed that there should not be any sympathy for them.
“It really pains me when I find that so many people are dying after consuming spurious liquor. Despite my efforts to implement total prohibition, people are dying. I spoke to my officials and told them that it is really painful for me that poor people are dying. Now I have decided that ₹4 lakh compensation would be given to those who died in hooch incidents since 2016 but with a condition. The family member of the deceased must give in writing to the district magistrate that death took place after consuming illicit liquor and they will also have to declare that they would motivate others not to consume liquor,” Kumar said.
Opposition BJP has been slamming Mr. Kumar over the hooch tragedies in past and continuously demanded the compensation of ₹4 lakh but the Chief Minister had categorically rejected it.
Kumar had come out with the blunt statement rejecting financial compensation to the victims of liquor tragedies after 43 people died in a hooch tragedy in Chhapra last year. Asking the people to follow state laws, Kumar had also said “Jo Piyega Wo Marega” (those who drink illicit liquor will die). Opposition had criticised his statement calling it inhuman.
Announcing compensation on Monday, Kumar reiterated that implementing prohibition in the State was not his personal wish rather all political parties gave consensus and the women demanded total prohibition. So far, over 300 people have died in hooch tragedies ever since it has been implemented.
The poor implementation of prohibition could be understood from the fact that in 2022, a report by the National Family Health Survey (NHRC) noted that Bihar consumes more alcohol than Maharashtra. The first hooch tragedy had occurred in Khajurbanni in Gopalganj district just four months after the imposition of prohibition in which 19 died and six others had lost their eyesight.
Kumar stressed that continuous efforts are being made to implement prohibition but despite that there are some people who are involved in wrongdoings. Reacting on the compensation, BJP state president Samrat Choudhary said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should resign taking the moral responsibility of the deaths in Motihari.
“Only the small police officers have been suspended, what about the DGP, Chief Secretary and Nitish Kumar himself who holds the home portfolio. He should resign from the post of the Chief Minister because if there is anyone responsible for the sale of liquor in the state it is him,” Choudhary said.
Meanwhile East Champaran SP Kantesh Kumar Mishra said five station house officers (SHOs) have been suspended for dereliction of duty in connection with the Motihari hooch tragedy.
(Manas Dasgupta)
