Aizawl, Feb. 18 (PTI): Mizoram government will legislate a stringent prohibition law in the coming budget session of the assembly, its Excise and Narcotics Minister K Beichhua on Monday said.
The budget session of the state legislative assembly is likely to be held in March, he said at a meeting of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) here.
Beichhua said that total prohibition would be reimposed in the state as promised by MNF in its assembly election manifesto.
The MNF government helmed by Zoramthanga soon after taking over the reins of the state in December 2018 had declared 'dry days', but was challenged by liquor vendors and the Gauhati High Court stayed the long spell of dry days.
It had declared dry days from December 21 to January 14 which was extended from January 15 to March 15, prompting the owners of three bonded warehouses and wine shops to approach the High Court and challenge its order on the long spell of dry days.
The Aizawl bench of the Gauhati High Court on January 19 squashed the state government's order on dry days and the wine shops began opening after two days.
"It is not our government which is selling the liquor, but on the order of the High Court," the minister said.
There has been total prohibition since February 20, 1997 when the stringent Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1995 was imposed in the whole of the state except for the three autonomous district council areas, till wine shops were opened on March 16, 2015 under the Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition and Control) Act, 2014.
