IMPHAL, September 26: The State government has decided to officially launch Sekmai locally brewed liquor as “Laigi Sekmai” and introduced it at the International Food and Beverage Expo in Germany in October this year, Commerce and Industries minister Govindas Konthoujam said today.
Speaking at a one day workshop on distillers and dealers of local liquor, the minister said the decision was arrived at following thorough preliminary rounds of quality testing of the Sekmai liquor.
The workshop was held at the Court Hall of Manipur University today.
Manipur is a small State with a very low per capita income, the minister told the gathering.
The main reason for the low per capita income is because of the lack of opportunities to establish big industries in the State, he added.
Even Sikkim has three times higher per capita income than Manipur, he observed.
The minister also expressed that tourism has the best potential to increase the State income, as the State has an abundance of Mother Nature’s gift.
He said the liquor is not for open sale in the State, but consideration is on to present the liquor which is of great taste and of good quality on the international map of beverages.
It has the potential to considerably improve the per capita income of the State if it is marketed properly outside, he continued.
The State at present is also facing several social problems due to liquor consumption, the minister observed while citing uncivilised manner of liquor consumption among the people for all the problems.
Our people have no manner when it comes to having a drink, he observed.
People tend to consume liquor excessively leading to so many unwanted incidents which is likely to continue, he continued.
However, the better quality locally brewed liquor is exported outside the State, people engaged in the distillation process would enjoy much benefit and higher income, Govindas said.
Our local breverage has the quality to be among the top beverages in the world if it is properly branded and bottled, he continued.
He said the Sekmai liquor has passed the preliminary round of quality testing and the government has decided to officially name it “Laigi Sekmai.”
The concernes department, the minister said, is in the process of introducing it at the International Food and Beverage Expo to be held in Germany in October this year.
He said the department is also in collaboration with a few NGOs for the process of packaging samples in small bottles so that people coming from outside the State may carry it as souvenir samples.
He continued there are also several locally brewed liquor in the State including those brewed at Andro, Phayeng, Kakching and Khurkhul to name a few which are of high quality.
There are more than 5000 distilleries and dealers of local liquor in the State according to an official report, he added.
It is brewed on a daily basis for customary reasons at many places, Govindas observed.
The minister also added that there is need to organise such workshops more frequently so that the people are made aware of the potential of the locally brewed liquors.
He further wished that the concern department are able to communicate the issue properly with all the stake holders so that the plan of the government passes smoothly.
Manipur Chambers and Commerce Industries president Dr Th Dhabali, who is also the managing director of the Babina Healthcare and Hospitality Industries Pvt Ltd observed, Manipur has been a dry State officially since a long time.
However, all varieties of liquor including branded ones are available freely giving the impression that the prohibition has been lifted already.
Fake and duplicate bottles of branded liquor are also found in the State, which is much more harmful, he said.
If our local liquor is bottled and laboratory tested, it could be among the top beverages in the world, he added.
Dhabali also said it is time for the government and the NGOs to come to an understanding and adopt an official policy to allow sale of the local beverage with high restriction in the State.
The inaugural function was followed by a technical session discussing the local beverages for export outside the State.