Imphal: Manipur government has earned Rs 15.52 crores as excise duty in 2021-22. This was informed by the Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in reply to a starred question raised by the opposition Congress MLA Kangujam Ranjit on the concluding day of the 3rd session of the 12th state assembly on Friday.
Chief Minister Singh said that government will come up with a white paper on liquor legalization in the state.
To this effect, an expert committee has been formed after the cabinet’s decision on liquor legalization, he said.
The committee is scheduled to submit its report by March end, the CM who also holds the Home portfolio said.
To a supplementary question posed by K Ranjit on the purchasing of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) by the civilians from the canteens of security forces, the CM who is also the leader of the house made it clear that it is against the law.
On the distillation of local liquors persistently in the scheduled cast villages including Sekmai and Andro in the state, CM who also holds the planning portfolio stated that consumption of local liquor may cause health hazards.
To this issue, the state government has sought public opinion for the legalization of liquor manufacturing in the state.
In the midst of strong opposition from various quarters including the Coalition Against Drugs and Alcohol (CADA), the Manipur government of late has sought the views of the public seeking the opinion and views of the people, civil society organizations, NGOs, and individuals to establish a “white paper” for the partial lifting of liquor ban in the state stating that lifting of the prohibition is expected to earn a revenue of Rs 600 crore annually.
Manipur was declared a dry state in 1991 after enacting Manipur Liquor Prohibition Act, 1991. With the enactment of the Act, Manipur officially became a dry state, with an exemption granted to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities to brew liquor for traditional purposes.