Patna: Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday raised concerns over the implementation of Bihar’s prohibition law, alleging that shortcomings in enforcement were causing problems, particularly for poor people. He urged CM Samrat Choudhary to consider implementing prohibition in Bihar along the lines of the Gujarat model.Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) national executive meeting in Patna, Manjhi said complaints had emerged that officials were allegedly using the law to implicate poor people. He said Gujarat had a prohibition regime but people there did not face the same level of problems.Manjhi said the objective of prohibition could be achieved effectively only by improving its implementation. He called for a system to ensure vulnerable sections were not unnecessarily harassed.The Union minister also said legislation alone was not enough to create a drug-free society. He called for efforts to reach young people and other sections of society and engage them in discussions on the harmful effects of addiction.“We are committed to working towards freeing young people and other sections of society from addiction,” Manjhi said, adding that his organisation would continue efforts to promote awareness. He stressed that legal measures, awareness campaigns, direct public engagement and greater social participation were essential to making the campaign against addiction successful.
