Nagaland: Citizens' groups demand lifting of Liquor Prohibition Act in Dimapur

Dimapur: Twenty Naga tribes and several civil society organisations (CSOs) of Dimapur, under the aegis of the Naga Council Dimapur, urged Governor La Ganesan to put up for urgent discussion over the lifting of the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act, 1989, in Dimapur district in the upcoming state assembly session.

In a joint representation to the governor during his visit to Dimapur on Wednesday, the Naga Council Dimapur, Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation, Naga Women Hoho Dimapur, Dimapur Naga Students Union, Dimapur GB’s Union, Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Business Association of Nagaland, Dimapur District GB’s Association and Dimapur Eastern Naga Students Union sought to point out that the NLTP Act has been a total failure in the district and that it has become a ‘mockery’.

They said the entire civil society organisations of Dimapur aspire that the Act be lifted from the district with ‘proper mechanism’.

The representation said despite continued reminders to the public and law enforcement department, there are about 1,000 liquor outlets in Dimapur itself.

The CSOs mentioned that they observed that drug abusers, especially among school and college-going students, have multiplied because of this Act.

Calling for action of the state government, they said though Dimapur is the nerve centre of business and gateway to Nagaland, it remained totally neglected in terms of developments.

The representation urged the governor to take up with the state government the construction of by-pass road on NH-29 at Dimapur, construction of road for New Naga Cemetery, Zani village, completion of Dimapur multi-disciplinary sports complex, completion of Dimapur civil hospital, construction of new flyover bridge from Plaza Point joining the existing railway over bridge and to reinstate the construction of unity mall allotted for Dimapur.