JAN 13, 2026 (IMP): Against the unregulated sales of alcohol that have become rampant in both Imphal and the greater Imphal area, the Malom Apunba Meira Paibi (women’s pressure group) staged a large sit-in protest demonstration at Malom Bazar against legalization and said they cannot allow the sale of alcohol in the entire Malom area.
‘Liquor legalization destroys families,’ a placard held by one of the Meira Paibis said against legalization by the government and highlighted that alcohol sales in the Malom area have been mushrooming every day, and the number of sale points and areas has become alarming.
After more than 30 years of prohibition, the state government legalized alcohol sales and formalized it through a gazette notification in December 2023, which withdrew the Manipur Liquor Prohibition Act, 1991, from most areas of the state.
In September 2022, the state cabinet initially decided to partially lift the ban, allowing sales in certain areas. The full legalization was approved by the state cabinet in December 2023, and alcohol sale and consumption are now legal in greater Imphal areas, all district headquarters, tourist locations, and registered hotel establishments with at least 20 beds.
Earlier, the government cited two main reasons for lifting the ban: to curb the sale and health hazards associated with spurious, unregulated liquor and to generate significant annual state revenue, estimated at around ₹600–700 crore.
