Liquor Bill referred to Select Committee ; State Assembly passes MP Bill, MIU Bill
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 23 2018: The Manipur Legislative Assembly today passed the Manipur People (MP) Bill 2018 and the Manipur International University (MIU) Bill 2018 but the Manipur Liquor Prohibition (Second Amendment) Bill 2018 was referred to the Select Committee.

The House also resolved to withdraw two Bills namely, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015 which were passed by the House on August 31, 2015.The three Bills were tabled one after another by Chief Minister and Home Minister N Biren, Education Minister Th Radheshyam and Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar who is also in charge of Excise Department respectively.

After the Hill Areas Committee presented a report on the MP Bill, the House unanimously passed the Bill.

Likewise, MIU Bill was also passed unanimously.

Chief Minister N Biren, Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar and Opposition leader O Ibobi deliberated on the Manipur Liquor Prohibition (Second Amendment) Bill 2018 and it was later decided to refer the Bill to the State Assembly's Select Committee.

The Liquor Bill has been tabled to pave way for exporting liquor brewed in the State by controlling its quality but these liquors will be prohibited in the State, N Biren said.

He maintained that enhanced revenue collection is not the primary factor for tabling the Bill.

Liquor is still prohibited in the State but liquors are brewed and people consume the same in the State.

Contents and ingredients of the liquors brewed in the State have not been checked and tested and many people have been saying that local liquors are mixed with detergent powder, Urea, mosquito repellent etc.

It is a matter of serious concern that thousands of people die due to liver cirrhosis and other health problems caused by consumption of such spurious liquor, the Chief Minister stated.

The State Government tabled the Bill to mitigate the health and socio-economic problems for days now caused by consumption of spurious liquor, Biren told the House.

Even if the Bill is not passed, brewing and consumption of liquor will continue as usual but some sections seem to have certain misgivings or misconception about the Bill, added Biren and suggested the House to refer the Bill to the Select Committee.

Y Joykumar said that prohibition will still remain in force even if the Bill is passed and it does not mean giving complete freedom for brewing liquor.

The Bill seeks to regulate brewing of liquor and control its quality, he asserted.

Even though prohibition has been in force in the State for the past 27 years, it appears that liquor is available in every corner of the State.

Efforts to ban alcohol ended in failure not only in Manipur but in most places across the world, he said.

It is a totally wrong notion that employees would be given 7th Pay out of the revenue earned from legalising liquor.

The Bill is not related with the 7th Pay, said Joykumar who is also in charge of Finance Department.

Nonetheless, the State Government believes that Rs 350 crore to 400 crore can be earned in a year if the Manipur Liquor Prohibition (Second Amendment) Bill 2018 is passed.

This is a very small amount.

Implementation of the 7th Pay would require Rs 1400 crore in a year and another Rs 400 crore for payment of pending arrears, Joykumar said.

He said that the Bill is one option for resource mobilisation but there is no harm in referring the Bill to the Select Committee.

Ex-Chief Minister and Opposition leader O Ibobi expressed strong reservation against the Government's motive to enhance the State's revenue and implement the 7th Pay by legalising liquor.

When the Congress party was in power, the party worked repeatedly to introduce such a Bill but all these attempts were aborted in line with the people's wish and pulse.

Despite prohibition and persistent anti-liquor movement of Meira Paibis, liquors are still brewed and consumed but the situation will only grow worse if the prohibition is lifted, Ibobi stated.

Pointing out that BJP is leading the coalition Governments of both the Centre and the State, Ibobi suggested the State Government to lobby with the Central Government and explore alternative means of enhancing the State's revenue.

Later, Speaker Y Khemchand intervened and the Bil! was referred to the Select Committee headed by the Law Minister as chairman.

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