Dimapur, July 19 (MExN): The government today rue that the recent meeting called by the Excise department to discuss the Prohibition Act has been misunderstood as an attempt to garner support for lifting the ban on liquor. Owing to the varied “reaction,” the government has decided on not pursuing the matter for time being. The department also clarified that the church was not invited because latter’s stand was already clear and understood.
The Excise department has made clear that the meeting was just to brainstorm on issues related to Prohibition and not otherwise, Commissioner & Secretary Imkonglemba, IAS, stated today. “The intent and purpose of said consultative meeting appears to have been completely misunderstood by many as an effort for garnering support for lifting the Prohibition. However, the department clarifies that this meeting was called to have a brainstorming session on the issues of Prohibition, its success and failures and the advisability of continuing the prohibition or lifting it totally or partially,” the department said. On the ‘church’ not being invited to the first meeting, the department clarified that it was so because the church’s stand and views on Prohibition is clear and known to one and all.
“If on the basis of the first consultative meeting the government was of the opinion that the Prohibition needs to be lifted, then consultation with the church would have been the next logical step,” the commissioner said.
The government has not decided, the commissioner informed, that ‘consultations’ on the matter of lifting the prohibition ‘may not be pursued further for the time being as there appears to be no consensus on the issue.’
