Excise Minister K Babu presented the Abkari (Amendment) Bill 2013 in the Assembly here on Monday.
Apart from enhancing the age limit for consumption of alcohol from 18 to 21, the Bill - among other things - proposes penal provisions for exhibiting scenes of liquor consumption in movies without accompanying warnings. The Bill intends to replace an ordinance in this regard which the Governor cleared in February, 2012. Exhibiting liquor consumption scenes in movies in contravention to the provisions of the Bills would entail simple imprisonment for a term upto six months or fine upto Rs 10,000 or both.
Violation of age restrictions would entail a fine of Rs 5,000.