Block Development Officers (BDOs) and Circle Officers (COs) posted in blocks of all districts in Bihar will now be able to take action against alcoholics, those selling or trading liquor. Prohibition, Excise and Registration Department has implemented it with immediate effect by giving powers of Prohibition and Excise Officers to all Rural Development Officers and Revenue Officers other than their department. The department has also issued a notification related to this.
Power to arrest without warrant and take preventive action
With the powers of Product Officer, BDO-CO will now be able to search any premises on the basis of suspicion. Not only this, any person who violates the Prohibition Act will be able to arrest without warrant or take preventive action against them. The BDO-CO will have the right to conduct medical examination or breath test on any person. In the act, all the product officers have been given the powers of the officer in charge of the police station in the area under their jurisdiction. Those who have got the power of product officer, their work area will be considered as police station.
ADM, DTO, MVI also got powers
Earlier, the Prohibition Department has given the powers of product-prohibition officers to Additional District Magistrate (ADM), District Transport Officer (DTO), Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) and Enforcement Sub-Inspector (Enforcement Sub-Inspector) in the districts. According to departmental officials, DTO and MVI have been designated as excise officers for the entire district while enforcement sub-inspectors have been deputed as excise officers for action in the district. On the basis of these powers, action is taken by the DTO and MVI to arrest the culprits and confiscate the banned material if liquor is caught in the investigation of any type of private or public vehicles including trucks, buses, autos, bikes.
Bihar: Those obstructing liquor raids will be dealt with strictly, pepper spray will be used(youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlUKummI06E)
