Manipur Assembly session adjourned amid tight security

The Monsoon Session of the Manipur Assembly was adjourned sine die today amid tight security as civil outfits protesting against the Manipur Liquor (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018, and students attempted to disrupt the proceedings of the House.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were imposed in 500 m range of the Assembly complex since 10 am this morning to maintain law and order on orders from Imphal West district magistrate N Prabin Singh.

Volunteers of women's civil body Nupi Samaj had taken out a procession to the Assembly, demanding that the Manipur Liquor (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018, should not be passed.

Manipur is a dry state but liquor is found widely in it. The women's bodies are protesting against the implementation of the bill which would allow manufacturing of country liquor in the state.

Manipur University Students Union had threatened disruption of the House proceedings over the government's failure to remove Manipur University Vice-Chancellor Adya Prasad Pandey.

The protestors were stopped by security personnel about a km away from the assembly and a number of them were booked, police said.

The Assembly passed the Protection of Manipur Peoples Bill, 2018 unanimously and resolved to protect the teritorrial integrity of the state.

The motion was moved by leader of the House and Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

The Manipur Liquor Prohibition (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018, was not passed by the House and Speaker Y Khemchand referred the Bill to a select committee to discuss the merits and demerits of it.

The select committee will comprise the law minister, two MLAs both from the ruling and opposition sides, Khemchand said, adding that the names of the MLAs would be announced soon.

The chief minister said the reason behind the proposal of the Bill was not just to earn more revenue but to produce quality country liquor with the assistance of experts from outside the state. The liquor would then be sold outside Manipur.

He conceded that though the prohibition has been in effect in the state since 1991, liquor is consumed by a large number of people and is available in different parts of the state.

"No Act is able to stop the consumption of liquor", he said adding, that the Bill is a way to save lives as much of the country-made liquor sold in the state is adulterated.

Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar, who is in-charge of the excise, said the government is aware that the liquor is available in almost every part of the state and accordingly it is fit to brew quality country liquor so that the health hazards caused by consuming it is minimised.

Given the reservations raised by different civil bodies, particularly the Coalition Against Drugs and Alcohol (CADA) and other women bodies, the matter needed to be discussed further, he said.

The Bill, if passed, will legalise brewing of locally-made liquor but "prohibition will still be there", Joykumar added.