Patna, Oct 28 (PTI) The INDIA bloc on Tuesday promised to lift the ban on toddy (tari) and review the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act if voted to power in the state.
In its 32-page manifesto titled ‘Bihar ka Tejashwi Pran’ (Tejashwi’s resolve), the opposition alliance also promised a government job to one member of every household, restoration of old pension scheme and 200 units of free power, among other things.
“The Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act will be reviewed and the ban on toddy (tari) in the state will be removed. Immediate relief will be provided to Dalits and other poor people languishing in jail for violating the law. Traditional occupations based on toddy and mahua will be excluded from the ambit of the prohibition law,” the document said.
RJD leader and INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav said the move would restore the livelihoods of those dependent on the traditional toddy trade.
“The community which has been doing this toddy business for generations has no other means of livelihood or agricultural land. This ban needs to be removed,” Yadav said.
Sale and consumption of toddy are banned in the state under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, which came into force in April 2016.
CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya had also recently described the prohibition law as “farcical”, asserting that it would be subjected to a “critical review” if the INDIA bloc came to power.
(Disclaimer: This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)