IMPHAL, November 25: Almost all hotels in the border town of Moreh which is one of the main centres of the Indo-Myanmar Border Trade have been visibly reduced to Indian Made Foreign Liquor shops.
What is interesting is that Manipur was official declared to be a “Dry State” since 1991 when (L) RK Ranbir was the Chief Minister of the State and ever since than all sale of IMFL and local liquor have been banned in the State.
However, it may be mentioned that the Chief Minister had even acknowledged during the Winter Session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly earlier this year that despite the dry State status of the State, liquor is available and consumed in almost all parts of the State including in the interior areas. Other members of the House had also expressed that the State exchequer could gain more revenue if liquor brewed in the State are exported outside.
Even then the Dry State status has never been lifted from the State till date.
However, Foreign Made Liquor as well as Indian Made Foreign Liquor are not only easily available in most hotels in the Moreh border town but are also fully displayed in front of the hotels.
Liquor bottles are also easily available in the makeshift roadside stalls.
It may be mentioned that all these are happening even in the presence of Manipur Police led by an Additional SP and SDPO and a post of the Excise Department in the border town.
The liquor business in the border town is continuing without any fear of the State authorities deployed in the town.