Times of India
02 June 2011
By Sandeep Ashar
Mumbai, India

If you are below 25 you will not be allowed to drink hard liquor anywhere in the state. Fresh restrictions have been imposed on liquor consumption. The legal drinking age for rum, gin, whisky, vodka and country made liquor has been fixed at 25 years.

This decision was taken during the state cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said that the "legal drinking age for these hard drinks was 21 years previously".

The legal drinking age for the consumption of mild beer has similarly been fixed at 21 years. The provisions are a part of the government’s new de–addiction policy, which was cleared by the cabinet of ministers.

The new policy also includes provisions that allow sale of only two liquor bottles (or 750 ml) a week to one permit holder. Penal action has been proposed for violaters.

Citizens will also be required to take permission from the excise or police officials for serving alcohol during public functions, including birthdays and marriage parties. Action would be taken against those flouting this norm, said Sachin Ahir, minister of state, social justice department, which formulated the policy. The local police station and excise officials will also have powers to revoke the drinking permit and initiate criminal action against someone found creating nuisance after getting drunk at a public function.

Times View
The government’s decision is both arbitrary and out of touch with the times. When any Indian can get a voter’s ID or a driving licence at 18, raising the legal drinking age from 21 to 25 is illogical. Moreover, how it will be implemented is unclear. The government would do better to adopt measures like stiff pricing, limiting new shop licences and promoting responsible drinking than imposing curbs which are liable to be misused and likely to be breached.

The policy also empowers the district collector to declare three additional dry days on "special" occasions apart from the nine statewide dry days. While the state excise department has claimed that most of the provisions, including the revised drinking age limits, had already been incorporated in the act, Shivajirao Moghe, minister, social justice department, said that the new policy would aim to enforce these.

The department had initially planned to increase the legal drinking age to 30 years throughout the state (the 30–year norm is already in place in Wardha). This plan was however dropped following objections raised by other cabinet ministers and the excise department. A plan to stop issuance of new permits for liquor shops was also shelved following objections raised by other departments.

The department had proposed that politicians engaged in selling of alcohol will not be permitted to contest elections, along with their family members. Even this was dropped following objections raised by cabinet ministers. The cabinet agreed to take action against sale on liquor by retired and acting servicemen, who have been allotted shops under government quota. The government has also decided to retain the norm of disallowing setting up of bars or liquor vends 75 m and 50 m respectively from schools, state government offices, gardens, religious sites, state and national highways in municipal corporation limits and 100 m in other areas. While the social justice department wanted to further tighten this norm, it shelved the plan after the excise department objected.

The government has decided to form a regulatory board led by the chief minister to plan and promote de–addiction activities. Committees comprising government officials, elected representatives, social activists and women self–help groups will also be formed at the district and taluka level, Moghe said.

The minister said that dedicated campaigns informing people about the harmful effects of drinking, smoking, gutka consumption, and narcotic substances will be undertaken. "It has been decided to include chapters giving details on such harmful effects in syllabus for school and college education. Participating in de–addiction campaigns has been made mandatory for all social science college students. The government plans to showcase documentary films and advertisement to promote deaddiction activities."

Moghe said that the 52–point policy was aimed at "prohibiting sale of illicit liquor and regulating sale of legal brands." It has been decided that if 25% voters or 25% female voters (the earlier norm was 35%) from a ward or a gram sabha apply for closure of a liquor shop, the collector will be required to call a ballot.

If 50% of the voters or female voters vote against the liquor shop, it will be relocated. Externment action will be taken against those found distributing illicit liquor. A NGO will be formed in all districts to coordinate deaddiction activity. Police officials found going soft on illicit liquor shops will be acted against. At the meeting, Narayan Rane and a section of other ministers questioned the feasibility of acting on the plans.

Few ministers also said that imposing new restriction on liquor consumption will affect excise revenue. Chavan said, "It is a contentious issue with differing opinions. The policy is an attempt to encourage deaddiction activity. Government is open to discussion." The policy is silent on what action would be taken against those found consuming liquor without permits.