
Patna: Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party on Sunday reiterated that if voted to power, it will scrap the ban on sale and consumption of liquor in Bihar imposed by the Nitish Kumar government.
It said the nearly Rs 28,000 crore revenue surplus thus generated will be utilised to raise loans to the tune of Rs 5 to Rs 6 lakh crore from World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Talking to reporters here while welcoming LJV (RV) leader Kumar Saurav to the party, Jan Suraaj Party’s national president Udai Singh, said, “We have been maintaining that liquor prohibition in the state will be lifted immediately, if Jan Suraaj is voted to power in Bihar in the upcoming assembly polls. The state will be able to save nearly Rs 28,000 crore revenue loss…which will be utilised to raise loans to the tune of Rs 5 to Rs 6 lakh crore from the World Bank and IMF.”
Singh said, “Saurav is well-versed in finance and law. He worked as country head of securitisation in a private bank in India…We will use his expertise in raising loans to the tune of Rs 5 lakh crore to Rs 6 lakh crore from the World Bank and the IMF from the state’s revenue, which will be saved after lifting liquor prohibition in Bihar.”
Poll strategist-turned-politician Kishor has already promised to scrap the liquor ban in Bihar within an hour if his Jan Suraaj party forms the next government in the state.
The sale and consumption of alcohol was banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016.
After joining Jan Suraaj Party, Saurav told reporters, “I have not quit Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) due to differences with party’s chief Chirag Paswan….I joined Jan Suraaj to work with Prashant Kishor ji, who has been tirelessly working for the betterment of Bihar and the people of the state.”