Cognizable offences drop 27% in Patna division

Patna: Complete liquor ban in Bihar has started showing positive results within three weeks of enforcement from April 5.
Six districts of Patna division have reported 27% decline in the number of cognizable offences between April 1-23 this year, compared to the corresponding period in 2015. The number of road accidents and casualties therein has also reported a sharp decline.
“The total number of cognizable offences between April 1 and 23 last year in Patna division’s six districts (Patna, Nalanda, Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas and Kaimur) was 3,178. After prohibition, the number of similar offences during the corresponding period in 2016 has reduced to 2,328, a fall of more than 27%,” Patna divisional commissioner Anand Kishor informed CM Nitish Kumar during a review meeting here on Monday.
The meeting, chaired by the CM and also attended by deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and some other ministers, was convened to review the status of enforcement of prohibition, impact of dwindling water level and government departments’ readiness to implement Nitish’s ‘Saat Nishchay’ (seven resolves) programme in the districts of Patna division.
Furnishing the data collected from six districts, the commissioner also informed the CM that the incidents of conflicts and social tension during religious and public processions have also reported a sharp decline after prohibition, leading to improvement in general law and order scenario.
The CM asked officials to maintain extra vigil on interstate borders, checkposts and barriers to ensure complete ban. He said persons crossing interstate borders for drinking should be checked with breathalyzers on their return.
He also asked officials to make all arrangements for opening of sufficient number of counters at district and subdivision level to ensure smooth implementation of the first-of-its-kind law — Public Grievances Redressal Act — across the state from June next.
Kishor further said at the meeting that open tenders have been invited in all six districts for opening ‘district registration and counselling centres’ to implement the CM’s ‘Saat Nishchay’ programme. Locations have been identified in all 98 blocks of the division for opening block-level ‘language communication and computer skill knowledge centre’ in each block.
The CM said the state government, under the seven resolves programme, has planned to open at least one general nursing training college, an engineering college, one woman ITI and one para-medical institution in each district and asked the officials to work in this direction.