IMPHAL, Aug 26: The decision of the state government to absorb some of the staffs of state excise department for the establishment of state Disaster Response Police Force is mandatory as per the directive of the Central government and there is no question of total abolishment of the excise department.
This was stated by Chief minister in the Assembly house today while replying to the calling attention motion jointly raised by the opposition MLAs Dr Ng Bijoy, RK Anand and senior opposition MLA Okram Joy to call the attention of the state home minister on the establishment of “state disaster response police force” by inducting 548 employees of excise department.
Chief Minister further mentioned that it has become mandatory for the state of Manipur for the establishment of the state Disaster Response Police Force as a part of the national policy as directed by the central government. Besides state government after consideration for the establishment of the state Disaster Response Police Force, state cabinet in its meeting held on July 27 last month has approved for absorption of some of the staffs from the state excised department to the newly established state Disaster Response Police Force while considering the possibilities of involvement of financial expenditures on recruitment of new staffs for the established the state Disaster Response Police Force in the state.
He further clarified that there is no question of total abolishment of the existing excise department of the state government will keep require staffs for the state excise for further functioning in the state in terms of revenue collection and issuance of licenses and other forms of drive against the abuse of drugs and alcohols in the state.
Chief minister further mentioned that, under a formulated state policy there has been extension of excise act regulation to state police forces and maximum drive against the drug trafficking and drug abuse by the youths of the state have been strictly monitored by the state police forces at their level best apart from dealing the law and order problems of the state.
In the meantime mover of the calling attention motion in the house today led by the MLA, Dr Ng Bojoy Singh, RK Anand and senior opposition member O Joy Singh have drawn the attention of the state chief minister on the creating apprehension on the possibilities of total failure from the state concerned department, “state excise department’ to dealt the ever increasing and alarming state conditions of drug abuse especially by the youths of the state will be worsen if the state excise department happens to be abolished by the state government.
They further mentioned in the house that, time has come for the state government to intensified the intensive drive against the drug traffickers and launch extensive campaign against the drug abuse in the state by the youths and urged the state government to review the recent decision of absorbing the staffs of the state excise department to the state Disaster Response Police Force and also further suggested that the state government need to consider for the absorption of newly recruiting VDF to the said the state Disaster Response Police Force, which will enlighten objective for the state to maintain a successful, state Disaster Response Police Force, they added.