Imphal, March 2: Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Monday, March 2, flagged off five new vehicles for the Excise Department at the entrance of the Chief Minister’s Bungalow, a move aimed at reinforcing the department’s operational strength and improving enforcement across the state.
The vehicles, five Mahindra Bolero Camper pick-ups procured under the State Plan for the Excise Department, Manipur, were formally inducted into service during the ceremony. Officials said the addition would significantly enhance mobility and enable more effective field-level action.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, Assistant Commissioner of Excise Ng Rajesh Singh acknowledged the severe manpower crunch facing the department. He revealed that although 706 posts have been sanctioned, only around 130 personnel are currently deployed across 41 excise stations. In several cases, a single staff member is managing an entire station. Despite these constraints, he said, the department continues to push for the proper implementation of the amended excise policy in line with established rules and guidelines.
Rajesh Singh stressed that the new vehicles would bolster surveillance against illegal liquor trade and other excisable offences, help plug revenue leakages, and ultimately strengthen the state’s finances. Enhanced mobility, he noted, is critical to maintaining a strong presence on the ground, particularly at a time when regulatory oversight has become more important.
He also pointed to the partial lifting of prohibition in select areas of the state from December 6, 2023, after a gap of more than three years, describing it as a significant shift in Manipur’s excise framework. The policy change was designed to regulate the sale and consumption of liquor in a controlled manner while increasing state revenue.
While the easing of restrictions now allows consumers to access non-adulterated Indian Made Foreign Liquor in a regulated environment, Rajesh Singh underlined the need for sustained vigilance. Continuous monitoring and strict enforcement, he said, remain essential to ensure that the objectives behind the government’s decision are upheld without compromise.
