Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday announced a complete ban on alcohol in the state, reported ANI, which had already enforced the prohibition of country-made liquor earlier this month. At a press conference, Kumar said Indian-made Foreign Liquor will no longer be served at hotels or bars, though Army canteens will be exempt from the restriction. With the announcement, Bihar joins Gujarat, Nagaland and Mizoram in the list of technically dry states in the country.

The state Assembly on March 30 unanimously passed the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Bill 2016 to enforce a ban on country-made liquor from April 1. After the bill was passed, all 243 MLAs of the Assembly rose from their seats and vowed they will not consume alcohol, adding that they would discourage others from doing so too.

In November 2015, Kumar had said that his government will enforce a ban on alcohol in the state from April 2016. "In 1977-78 we tried to impose prohibition but it was not effective. But I feel women are suffering more than others [because of alcohol abuse]... I have instructed my officials to start working towards this and implement this from the next financial year," he had said, according to NDTV.