Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Thursday said that in order to attract tourists to boost the state’s economy, the state will try to lift restriction of liquor first in some hotel areas, and urged the society to support the government’s decision.
“Under The Manipur Liquor Prohibition Act, 1991 there is a provision to lift the restriction in some areas. And if the liquor prohibition is lifted from the state, a sum of Rs 600-700 crore could be added to the state’s economy,” Biren said earlier in a reply to a motion in the House during the ongoing second session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly.
Biren, who also holds the Tourism portfolio, was responding to the motion for disapproval of policy cut motion raised by Opposition MLA Th Lokeshwor Singh in the demand of Tourism which was moved by the Leader of the House.
Lokeshwor raised the motion for disapproval of policy cut on account of “Lack of proper policy to protect places of tourist interest; Need of proper policy to improve tourism and Lack of proper policy to develop hotels”.
Responding to the policy cut motion, Biren informed the House that Manipur is a place that has much potential to attract tourists, including foreign tourists. By taking the advantage of the abundance of natural scenic beauty, the Manipur government needs to grab the opportunity, he added.
“As a part of the 100 days’ programme taken up by the present BJP 2.0 government of Manipur, the formation of the state tourism policy has been completed. In the present scenario most of the tourists wanted to have some free space, including spending their leisure time with a beer,” he added.
To attract tourists to Manipur, the present government is trying to lift the restriction on liquor in some Hotel areas. And also to promote and increase the state’s economy, the government will try to start exporting local brews in support of big liquor companies outside the state, he said.
Biren said the local brews will be not for sale in Manipur but only for export. Biren urged the present society to support the state government’s decision in order to improve the state’s economy.
If lifting the prohibition of liquor could harm society then the government will give priority to save the society, he added.
Meanwhile, some Civil Society Organisations had been cautioning against lifting of restrictions on liquor as it could bring a huge impact on society, especially on the youths.
‘Nupi Samaj’, a women's organisation, expressed earlier to the media that the state government should kill all their members before the restriction on the ban on liquor is lifted. The women's body also warned the government that if necessary the movement of “Nisa Ban” (ban on liquors, drugs, and other illicit items) will be started.
