Study focused primarily on socio-eco impact
Newmai News Network
AIZAWL | JULY 30
A branch of ‘Review and Evaluation Committee’ constituted in July 2016 by the Mizoram government to analyze and evaluate the socio-economic impact of the Mizoram Liquor Prohibition and Control (MLPC) Act, 2014, has found that losses incurred in liquor outweighed revenue gains.
This was highlighted at a one day workshop on MLPC study group report here on Monday.
After 17 years of total prohibition, the MLPC Act aws lifted in January 2015.
A report on the finding of the study group, Principal Investigator, Dr Laldinliana Varte said that while the profit or benefit earned ratio from liquor and the revenue loss ration incurred from purchase of liquor is 1:2.85.
He stated “the study group primarily focused on the socio-economic impact of the MLPC act on Mizo society.”
According to Varte, all the findings of the study group could not be attributed to the impact of MLPC act alone as a comprehensive study of the socio-economic impact of liquor especially in health sector was not conducted during total prohibition period.
While the revenue profit received by the state government from warehouse and vendors was estimated at over Rs 23.52 crore, more than Rs 4.91 crore was received from excise duty and another Rs 12.45 crore from value added tax.
The study also revealed that only the government, liquor vendors and commercial sex workers benefited from liquor.
The study group interviewed 25 commercial sex workers in Aizawl and out of this 61 per cent said “their client increased after opening of liquor shops.”
It also revealed the cost of vehicular accidents due to drunk driving at Rs 16 lakh. A loss of over Rs 2.40 crore was incurred under ‘quality of life’, the study later revealed.
Medical expenses on alcoholic related accidents and illness were estimated at Rs 4.09 core and Rs 6.35 crore respectively.
While Rs 2.67 crore was lost on judicial cost, the government spent another Rs 1.20 crore on liquor related prisoners, the study group also said.
There was social cost like domestic violence which could not be put in term of money.
The study group suggested that re-imposition of total prohibition in the state is not totally objectionable as the profit- loss ratio.
