Nagaland yet to decide on lifting liquor prohibition in Dimapur, says minister K.G. Kenye

Amid mounting calls from civil society organisations (CSOs) to lift the decades-old liquor ban in Dimapur district, Nagaland government spokesperson and minister K.G. Kenye on Thursday said that the issue has not yet been taken up for discussion in the state cabinet.

Speaking to reporters in Kohima, Kenye said the recent initiative by the Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) to revoke the 35-year-old Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act has not reached the cabinet table so far. He recalled that earlier efforts by the government to review the NLTP Act of 1989 and related laws “were undertaken with good intent and in the overall interest of the state” but had faced strong opposition from the public.

Acknowledging that the issue has sparked widespread debate, Kenye said the government has chosen to let the people decide. “This is a people-centric issue. Let the vast majority decide the future course. We have seen healthy debates and differing opinions across sections, and we hope the Naga Council’s discussion is also in the larger interest of the public,” he said.

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The minister further clarified that no formal proposal to lift the prohibition law has been received by the government yet. “Maybe a time will come when the cabinet will take it up for discussion,” Kenye added.
Meanwhile, the campaign to repeal the NLTP Act within Dimapur district continues to gain momentum. 
Several CSOs from East Dimapur have extended their support to lifting the prohibition, joining hands with the NCD, which has already held two joint consultative meetings on the issue — the latest on Wednesday.

NCD President G.K. Rengma said the council’s move to address the “controversial Act” cannot progress without public backing and the active participation of civil society. He described the latest meeting as a “crucial step in consolidating grassroots consensus” on the matter.