Imphal, June 21: Taking note of the healthy revenue that can be raised through sale of liquor, Chief Minister O Ibobi, who also holds the Finance portfolio, today appealed to all the prohibition lobby not to oppose any move to lift prohibition from the State.

The Chief Minister said that Manipur stands to gain about Rs 35 to Rs 50 crores annually if prohibition is lifted.

Addressing the House on the concluding day of the Budget session, today, the Chief Minister said that a cash starved State like Manipur has to tap all possible sources of income and lifting prohibition can be one of the most effective measures of resource mobilization.

The Chief Minister made this observation while seeking to pass the Manipur Appropriation Bill (number III) for the period 2004-2005 involving a total sum of Rs 8011,81,04,000.Prohibition was imposed in the State during the tenure of RK Ranbir in 1991.Prior to this, the underground outfit RPF, had imposed a ban on sale and consumption of liquor and at that time there was a large scale social movement against liquor consumption, spear headed by the Meira Paibis.

Admitting that prohibition has failed miserably, the Chief Minister said that Manipur despite being a dry State, it is easy to procure country made liquor as well as Indian Made Foreign Liquor any time and anywhere.

NGOs have also failed to curb liquor sale and consumption, said the Chief Minister.

Strongly advocating lifting prohibition, the Chief Minister said that the State Govt is losing precious revenue to the tune of about Rs 35 crores annually because of prohibition and added that sale of liquor has become the domain of some �authorized� agents.

Taking the ground realities into consideration, the Chief Minister appealed to all the NGOs concerned to extend their co-operation to the Government in lifting prohibition and reminded the session that the Assembly had earlier decided to withdraw prohibition from Manipur.

The Chief Minister said lifting prohibition will lift the economy of the State and added that prohibition has failed miserably and is not serving its intended purpose.

Earlier the Assembly had decided to lift prohibition from certain parts of the State but that move had to be shelved prematurely following immense opposition from a number of NGOs and civil societies.

On the financial position of the State, the Chief Minister said the fiscal health of the State may improve once the 12th Finance Commission comes into effect.

However due to the prevailing law and order situation, the Government is facing numerous hazards in taking up developmental works, he added.

Forget about mega projects, but there are unnecessary interferences even in constructing small roads, said the CM and added that a united voice should be raised against such practices or else, Manipur will only sink further.

Targeting the previous Govt at New Delhi, Ibobi said that the then Central Govt did not pay any heed to the pleas of the State to help it overcome the financial crisis and added that then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was dissuaded from coming to Manipur from certain quarters.

He said the matter would be laid bare at the next opportune moment.

The Central Government then were the least bothered about the fate of Manipur he said.

Comment