E-Paper
In dry Nagaland, over 1000 liquor cases registered during peak of Covid pandemic
Nagaland has been under total prohibition since 1989 but its implementation has often been questioned.
More than 1,000 alcohol-related cases were registered in a span of nine months in the past year during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Nagaland where total prohibition has been in force since 1989, the government said on Monday .
According to the annual administrative report of the state excise and prohibition department (2020-2021) which was tabled in the ongoing session of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly by chief minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday, a total of 1,187 cases of liquor and narcotics cases were registered during April 2020 till December 2020.
Of the total cases, 1,180 were liquor-related while seven were narcotics and other drug cases. A total of 1,187 people were arrested for the offences.
The report stated that seized articles in connection with the cases included 32,080 bottles of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), 10,874 bottles of beer and 1,795 litres of country liquor besides 480 kg of ganja, 3.5 kg brown sugar, 2,159 bottles of cough syrup and 6,125 capsules of other drugs.
The department administers the Nagaland Excise Act 1967 along with the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act 1989 and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 in tandem.
The NLTP Act, which prohibits possession, sale, consumption and manufacture of liquor, import and export thereof in the state, is a topic that often resurfaces for debate in the public domain on whether it should be given more teeth or be relaxed altogether.
While a large section of people holds the view that prohibition was brought into force with good intention but its implementation has failed, the influential Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), which was pivotal in bringing about prohibition in the state, has recently reaffirmed its stand on the issue and urged the state government to seriously implement the law.
Those against prohibition say it has only helped spurious liquor find its way into the state through the black market which consequently affects the health of the people who drink alcohol. They also argue that scrapping prohibition would ensure better quality of liquor at cheaper prices and also increase the government’s revenue.
