Representative Image

PATNA: Taking a leaf out of Bihar’s book, the Chhattisgarh government is also contemplating prohibition in the state.

A team of Chhattisgarh politicians and officers is currently in Patna to study the Bihar model of prohibition. “Our CM Raman Singh is also in favour of ban on boozing... He is serious and already at work to create a conducive atmosphere for prohibition in the state,” one of the team members told Anjani Kumar Singh, adviser to Bihar CM, on Friday.

The team members were earlier scheduled to meet Nitish. “As the CM was not well, his adviser interacted with the Chhattisgarh team,” a Bihar government press release said.

Singh informed them about the steps taken before and after the enforcement of prohibition on April 5, 2016. “It was a difficult task as certain educated people and lobbies were against it... The critics also talked about the loss of around Rs 5,000 crore to the state exchequer and predicted reduction in tourist footfall. But the government implemented prohibition due to the strong willpower of CM Nitish Kumar,” Singh told the team.

Sources said the Chhattisgarh team members included Bastar MP Dinesh Kashyap, Janjgir-Champa MP Kamla Devi Patle, Kawardha MLA Ashok Sahu, Kunkuri MLA Rohit Kumar Sai and Chhattisgarh’s excise department secretary D D Singh.

