Government willing to hold discussion on Prohibition: CM

Principal Correspondent
KOHIMA, JULY 24

AFTER 25 years of enactment of the Nagaland Total Liquor Prohibition Act 1989, the Government of Nagaland today expressed its willingness to have full deliberation whether to lift or enforce Act.
Chief Minister TR Zeliang while replying to expressions and suggestions of the Opposition Congress in the floor the ongoing State Assembly session here today, Zeliang reiterated that “the Act is valid and enforceable, but there is acute shortage of enforcement personnel”.
He also revealed that the Excise Department has put up proposal for increase more personnel, but the government is unable to create the post.
Nevertheless, Zeliang said, “If the House desires, the government is willing to have serious deliberation and discussion on whether to continue to enforce or to lift the Prohibition Act”.
Congress MLA Khekaho Assumi raising supplementary queries had said that the State government is not being strong in fully implementing the Prohibition Act as liquor is easily available in almost every nook and corner, special in Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung districts and other district headquarters of the state.
Expressing that Nagaland is called as the ‘wettest dry state’ in the region, he said inflow from neighbouring state Assam, added with the running of liquor distillery at Khatkhati, next to Nagaland Gate, and foreign countries like Thailand and Myanmar were clear indications of the failure of the government in enforcing the Act.
The bootleggers are taking laxity of the department in implementing the Act, he said, while calling upon the government not to make a mockery of the Act.
Maintaining that the Congress is for total prohibition, Assumi suggested that “if the Act cannot be implemented totally, it is better to lift it which will also help in revenue generation for a resource crunch state like Nagaland”.
He also cited the example of Mizoram partially lifting the Prohibition with the condition of granting limited license. He asked the strong political action of government in enforcing or lifting the Act.
Therefore, he suggested that the State should amend the Act with more stringent rules and fully apply them or lift the Act and generate revenue.
Congress Legislature Party leader Tokheho Yepthomi said the Prohibition Act has loopholes as the penalty is minimum with first offence as Rs 500 fine or imprisonment for one month which goes upto Rs 2000 fine or imprisonment for a year.
He said Rule 10 of the Act provides opportunity for the Government to amend the Act.
He also asked the Government to add more forces to the existent 231 Excise personnel in the state. “Such a small number of personnel will not be able to check prohibition, he said, adding that if the Act is to be continue it should be amended with stringent law and also providing more strength to the Excise department.
In a lighter vein, he said if the government could appoint over 4000 employees, why could not it add some to the Excise Department.
Earlier, Parliamentary Secretary for Excise, T. Torechu replying to the starred question of the Opposition members said that the Act is very much applicable and implemented fully in the State since it came into being in 1989.
However, Torechu admitted that although the Act is enforced many people are apprehended for smuggling of liquor and that the defaulters are being jailed or fined according to the judgement of the court.
On CLP leader’s query on number of people booked under the Act from 2010 till date, Torechu gave the details as 2010 – 700; 2011 – 1096; 2012 – 1794; 2013 – 1732 and 2014 (till June) – 721.