Aizawl, Mar 5: The Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government in dry Mizoram will introduce a Bill in the assembly on Wednesday to amend a law, so that wine and beer manufactured from fruits and rice within the state are allowed for sale, an official said.
Chief Minister Lalduhoma, however, said his government would not lift the ban on the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages under the existing Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition) Act, 2019, enacted during the previous Mizo National Front (MNF) regime.
Excise and Narcotics Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar will introduce the Bill seeking to allow sale, distribution and manufacture of wine and local beer made solely from fruits and rice grain produced within the state by license holders, the official said.
It will also seek to allow the sale of undistilled country liquor or Mizo traditional alcoholic beverages made from rice grain in the Christian-majority state, he said.
Speaking to reporters after presenting the state’s annual budget for the 2025-26 fiscal in the assembly during the day, the chief minister made it clear that his government would not allow opening of hard liquor outlets but would regulate the sale of wine and beer manufactured locally from fruits and grains.
He said that churches have been consulted on the matter and they have given their consent to the decision.
The ZPM government had in March last year informed the Assembly that it would review the state’s prohibition law that banned the sale and consumption of liquor in the state except for certain areas.
Although there are requests from various quarters to lift the prohibition and open liquor shops, the government will not entertain such pleas, Lalduhoma said.
There has been debate on various platforms that the existing prohibition law needs to be reviewed as Mizoram has limited sources of revenue and many people died of alcohol consumption despite it being a dry state.
Prohibition was reimposed in 2019 in Mizoram after a gap of four years when the MNF government notified an act on May 28 that year.
With the powerful churches and community-based organisations favouring a 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 those shops and bars were closed from 1987 and partial prohibition continued.
The Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition Act of 1995 was enforced on February 20, 1997, imposing a complete ban on liquor.
In January 2015, a new law was notified, that allowed wine shops to open in the state. After coming to power, the MNF changed the policy following its poll promise and moved towards the imposition of dry law again. (PTI)
