PATNA: Rats in Bihar or at least in the Kaimur district continued to be in high spirits as they are believed to have galloped alcohol from 11,584 bottles which the police had seized from people flouting prohibition laws in the state.

The Nitish Kumar government's ban on sale and manufacturing of liquor seems to have turned the rodents in the state into 'drunkards' as they're every now and then guzzling down the seized alcohol. On a lighter note, the rats seem to be the biggest 'beneficiaries' of the total alcohol prohibition in Bihar.

In one such incident, when the Kaimur district administration officials reached a godown to destroy the seized alcohol, they discovered that several cartons containing bottles of alcohol had been gnawed by the liquor-loving rats. The officials claimed that five-six of such cartons have been finished off by the rodents.

However, the sources said that no rats were found in the godown.

Bhabua SDM Kumari Anupama said when the seized liquor was being "verified", large holes were found in the cartons suggesting that the rats may have drank the alcohol from bottles.

Earlier in May 2007, rats had finished off more than 9 lakh litres of alcohol from police station stores in Patna.

The Nitish Kumar government clamped total prohibition on Bihar in April 2016. To enforce the liquor ban, a special drive was launched by the police and the excise department across the state.