SIR helped Bihar achieve record poll turnout, says CEC Gyanesh Kumar

JD(U) leader and MLC Neeraj Kumar. File. Days after Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi raised concerns over the implementation of Bihar's prohibition law, demanding enforcement of the liquor ban along the lines of the Gujarat model, the JD(U) on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) said there was no question of reviewing the law, which was introduced during the tenure of former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.The Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, implemented in April 2016, bans alcohol manufacture, sale, and consumption in the State.The JD(U), which is an alliance partner in the NDA government in the State, said the prohibition law has improved the human index of Bihar on different parameters and was appreciated by top BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Talking to PTI on Tuesday (August 11, 2026), senior JD(U) leader and MLC Neeraj Kumar said, "There is no question of review of the prohibition law which was implemented during the tenure of our leader Nitish Kumar. I must say that prohibition law has brought significant changes in the lives of rural women. Not only that, the prohibition law, which was implemented in the State by the then CM Nitish Kumar, was even appreciated by PM Modi." Mr. Manjhi had recently highlighted the loopholes in the implementation of the prohibition, and said that the law in this regard should be streamlined on the Gujarat model."Due to flaws in the law's implementation, moral lapses are increasing. I would urge Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary to consider implementing the Gujarat model of prohibition in Bihar," he said.According to reports, a recent research paper by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) concluded that prohibition causes significant revenue losses to the state exchequer, and that lifting the ban could boost state revenue by 14 to 15 per cent.The report titled 'Macro perspective of Bihar's development achievements: Unfinished agenda and the way forward', released during India Policy Forum last week, stated that the liquor prohibition law in Bihar has led to "an increase in liquor trade, bootlegging, and higher consumption of alternative intoxicants." Meanwhile, echoing similar views as Manjhi, RJD leader Bhai Birendra said that despite the prohibition law in Bihar, liquor sales have increased in the state while some "white-collar individuals and those in khaki have all enriched themselves.""However, we had endorsed the liquor prohibition law back when it was implemented, and even today, we are in favour of prohibition. Its implementation should be strengthened," he said. Published - August 11, 2026 05:10 pm IST

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav demanded the appointment of Urdu and Sanskrit teachers in every government school. File | Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) shared the two-page letter on Tuesday (August 11, 2026); however, the letter was written on Monday (August 10, 2026).“There have been persistent complaints over the teacher transfer process in Bihar. Widespread discontent prevails among teachers, particularly those teaching Urdu, Arabic and Persian, due to alleged discriminatory and irregular treatment,”Mr. Yadav stated.He further said, “It is a matter of serious concern that in many schools, even the lone teacher for Urdu, Arabic or Persian has been declared ‘surplus’ and included in the transfer list. Transferring the only available teacher for a subject by deeming them ‘surplus’ effectively amounts to halting the teaching of that subject in the school.”Mr. Yadav claimed that complaints have also surfaced regarding the abolition or ‘surplus’ designation of sanctioned posts for these subjects—even in schools with sufficient student enrollment and the inclusion of teachers with less than five years of service, contractual teachers, and those recently transferred in the list.“This is not merely an administrative error; it casts a serious shadow over the transparency and fairness of the entire transfer process,”Mr. Yadav alleged.He pointed out that Sanskrit and Urdu are languages of India’s cultural heritage and it is the government’s responsibility to treat both languages ​​with equality and respect.The RJD National Working President demanded that the government must take concrete steps to ensure the availability of teachers for both Urdu and Sanskrit in every government school, and accord equal academic importance to both subjects.He also claimed that the salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff in aided madrasas and Sanskrit schools have been pending for approximately 5–6 months.“The education, medical care, daily expenses and other essential needs of their families are being directly affected. Depriving teachers and staff who have rendered years of service of their salaries for months is neither humane nor expected of a sensitive government,”Mr. Yadav said.He demanded that the government immediately conduct an independent and impartial review of the current ‘surplus’ and transfer list for Urdu, Arabic and Persian teachers. He also asked to immediately cancel all transfers found to be irregular or in violation of rules.Along with it, the Leader of Opposition urged to halt the practice of declaring the lone subject teacher in a school as ‘surplus’ and sanctioned posts for Urdu, Arabic, and Persian should not be abolished.“Cases concerning teachers with less than five years of service, contractual teachers, and those recently transferred should be re-examined in accordance with the rules. A clear policy should be formulated to ensure the availability of Urdu and Sanskrit teachers in every government school and all outstanding salary arrears for teaching staff in aided Madrasas and Sanskrit schools should be released immediately,”Mr. Yadav said.He expressed that accountability must be fixed for the irregularities that occurred during this entire process, and action should be taken against the officials found guilty, in accordance with the rules.Mr. Yadav asserted that injustice towards teachers, the neglect of students’ educational rights, and the withholding of salaries for months are unacce