More than 17 lakh people have been arrested under Bihar’s liquor prohibition law since its implementation in April 2016, a senior official said on Monday, underlining the scale of enforcement over the past decade.
Prohibition, Excise and Registration Department Secretary Ajay Yadav said a total of 17,18,058 individuals were arrested between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2026, for offences related to both consumption and sale of alcohol.
According to official data, 11,37,731 cases were registered in special excise courts during the period, of which 5,70,717 have been disposed of so far. Of these, punishment was awarded in nearly 99 per cent of the disposed cases, translating to 5,65,929 convictions.
The figures reflect the state’s continued emphasis on enforcing prohibition, which remains a key policy plank since its rollout in 2016.
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The department also reported strong revenue performance for the financial year 2025–26, collecting ₹8,403 crore, which is 101.8 per cent of the target of ₹8,250 crore. This marks an increase of ₹754 crore, or 9.86 per cent, compared to the previous fiscal year.
Yadav attributed the rise in revenue to the adoption of technology-driven processes, including GIS-based pre-registration mapping, even as the number of documents presented for registration declined by around 1.57 lakh during the year.
During the prohibition period, enforcement agencies seized a total of 4,83,20,249 bulk litres (BL) of liquor. This included 2,42,73,895 BL of country-made liquor and 2,40,46,354 BL of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).
Looking ahead, the department has set a revenue target of ₹10,000 crore for the next fiscal year. “We will continue reducing human intervention and enhancing transparency through mobile apps and GIS technology,” Yadav said, adding that home registration services for citizens above 80 years are being introduced.
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