Last Updated on January 26, 2022 8: 40pm

Aizawl: A total of 1,804 people have been arrested and 1,959 cases registered in connection with drugs and alcohol under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, the Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition) Act, 2019 and the Mizoram Excise Act, 1973 during the current fiscal, Mizoram governor Hari Babu Kambhampati said on Wednesday.

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Addressing a low-key celebration of Republic Day at Lammual here, Kambhampati said the government is much concerned with the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse and has been making massive efforts to control the menace.

“A total of 1,804 people have been arrested and 1,959 cases registered in connection with drugs, alcohol and narcotics during the 2021-2022 fiscal (upto 30.11.2021), while Rs. 71.12 lakh revenue has been collected by the excise and narcotics department during the same period,” the governor said as he unfurled the tricolour.

Also Read: Assam: Probe into Nagaon student leader shooting case begins

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According to the governor, the construction of a number of barracks has been undertaken along the state border with Assam under the government flagship programme Socio-Economic Development Policy (SEDP) at the cost of Rs 82.66 lakh since last year.

The governor said that the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF), which was first reported in south Mizoram’s Lunglei district in March last year, has so far claimed 29,821 pigs affecting at least 9,461 families across all 11 districts.

He said that 10,381 pigs have been culled and a petition for compensation amounting to Rs. 11.69 crore has been submitted to the Centre for the culled pigs.

The outbreak is more or less contained, he said.

He said that the resilient efforts of the state government supplemented by the tireless service rendered by the churches, NGOs, civil society and all frontline workers have together aided in mitigating the impact of COVID-19.

Also Read: Assam: Probe into Nagaon student leader shooting case begins

Republic day was celebrated in all parts of the state except in Champhai, where the deputy commissioner and a few officials held flag hoisting programmes due to strikes called by NGOs to protest the transfer of the deputy commissioner.

The NGOs has already threatened to boycott Republic Day if the government fails to withdraw the transfer order of Deputy Commissioner Maria CT Zuali.

Earlier on January 13, the government had issued an order transferring Maria, who took a stern measure on illicit trade of areca nuts from Myanmar, from Champhai to be posted as additional secretary in food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department in Aizawl.

Her transfer order has angered the public, who were adamant to continue with their agitation till the transfer order is revoked.