MZ-PROHIBITION

Prohibition again imposed in Mizoram after four years
    Aizawl, May 28 (PTI) Prohibition was again imposed in
Mizoram after four years as the state government notified the
prohibition act on Tuesday, a senior official said.
    The Mizoram Liquor Prohibition Bill, 2019 was passed
by the state Assembly on March 20 this year and Governor Prof
Jagdish Mukhi has given his assent to the bill.
    Excise and Narcotics department, Commissioner,
Ngurchungnunga Sailo told PTI that the notification was issued
by the state Law and Judicial department and published in the
state government official gazette.
    The prohibition law could not be notified earlier as
the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office, following
instructions from the Election Commission of India prohibited
notification and enforcement of the dry law till the end of
election process on May 27 as the model code of conduct was in
place.
    The state government had earlier announced that the
notification would be issued on April one.
    While retail wine shops and bonded warehouses were
already closed due to unavailability of liquor stocks, Tales
and Spirits bar inside the Hotel Ritz in the heart of Aizawl
was finally closed on Monday night.
    With the powerful churches and community-based
organisations favouring stringent prohibition law, Mizoram was
virtually dry all the time since India's independence.
    Though partial prohibition was in place the state
government allowed opening of wine shops in 1984 under the
provisions of the Mizoram Excise Act, 1973 but the wine shops
and bars were closed from 1987 and partial prohibition
continued.
    The Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1995 was
legislated and enforced from February 20, 1997 till January
15, 2015, the day, the new law - Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition
and Control Act, 2014) was notified.
     With the new Mizo National Front (MNF) government
coming to power after the election to the state Assembly held
on November 28 last year, the government changed its policy
and moved towards imposition of dry law again. PTI HCV
RG RG