Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, who is also in-charge of Finance today showed disappointment and helplessness over the huge lost of state revenue due to the prohibition of liquors in the state. During discussion hours for passing of demand for grant for Finance, the Chief Minister said that some of the state like Tamil Nadu and Tripura had managed to collect huge sum of revenue from this section but as the state of Manipur have prohibition to the selling of liquors, revenue collection in this section is nil.
“It is the revenue including from liquors that the state of Tamil Nadu is able to distribute rice at free of cost to the BPL family”, Ibobi said.
About making a proposal for lifting of the prohibition, the Chief Minister said that his government is waiting responses from the people of the state as any such move could mean misinterpretation from several quarter.
Except for Nagaland and Manipur ban on liquor has been lifted from all other states of North East India.
The Chief Minister further said that it is upto the people of the state to discuss on whether the prohibition should be lifted or not in view of the need of financial resource.
Selling and buying of liquor has been completely banned in the state of Manipur since 1991 under Manipur Prohibition Act, 1991. However, the state witness arrest of drunkards and Indian made liquor seller by police every single day, which showed that beside the banned liquor is abundantly available in the state. The State Excise department too destroyed seized liquors almost every month.
In view of this situation opposition MLA L Ibomcha while moving a motion of policy cut to the passing of the demand for grant of finance department said that the state need to rethink to the destruction of the liquors by the state Excise department. He said that the prohibition Act need to be amended in such a way that instead of destroying the seized liquor it should be considered for selling of the seized liquor to the paramilitary force. Ibomcha further said that even the Ganja (Marijauna ) which were seized as illegal item can be legalise and sell it for medicinal purposed to other state. This way the state will be able to earn some of the revenue, he added.
Image Source: Zee News India
