NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has sought response of the AAP government on a petition challenging a provision in the new Excise Policy, claiming that it seeks to reduce the age of consumption of liquor from 25 to 21.
The court issued notice and asked the Delhi government to file reply to the petition which has also sought to quash a provision in the new Excise Policy that there shall be no government- owned liquor vends and only privately-owned vends will be available for selling alcohol. The court listed the plea for further hearing on September 17.
The plea by NGO All India Bhrashtachar Virodhi Morcha said there is an opinion among a lot of people that reducing the age of consumption of liquor will increase alcoholism amongst students and younger generation of society, leading to other consequent problems and the decision to close government vends is not in public interest.
The plea said the new policy states that “the age of selling or serving liquor should be in consonance with that of the neighbouring states”.
Advocate Vijay Sharma, representing the NGO, claimed that the Delhi government is effectively seeking to reduce the minimum age of consumption of liquor from 25 to 21 years, as is the case in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.
Presently, the minimum age of consumption of liquor in Delhi is 25 years, while it is 25 and 21 in neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh respectively.