No drinking before 25

NI Wire

New Delhi

Tue, 13 May 2008: 

Below 25 years, sorry guys! You are not eligible to drinking. The Delhi government while receding from the proposal on lowering the drinking age to 21 from the existing 25, said the age of drinking and purchasing liquor would not be scaled down. Speculations were high for drinking age to be lowered this year by 21. t the government could not dare to alter the age owing to loss of votes in the poll bound state.

The Delhi cabinet on Monday looking inside the narrow prism came with various proposals regarding liquor-age, place and appointment of women as bar tenders. It proposed to impose stiff penalties on consumption of liquor in public places.

Heavy penalties of Rs 5,000 would have been imposed on the people, if caught drinking outside home and public places such as dhaba, paan shops, juice shops, streets and even in cars. A drunker involved in public nuisance could be sent to jail for three months. Repetition of offence would meet double punishments.

The government though allowed women bar tenders to serve liquor commercially, but not below 25 years of age can be permitted to do this job.

“When drinking age is 25 then it is natural that the age of women bartenders can't be less than that," said Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit while talking to reporters after the cabinet meeting.

Majority of cabinet members were not in favour of reducing drinking age to 18, so the government decided to remain it as 25, she added.

The age of women bartenders at 25 is in contradiction to the one which was ruled by the Supreme Court last year.

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court last year had allowed the women bartenders in Delhi's hotels and pubs until late night by saying restriction of women from a profession on ground of gender would be unconstitutional. It said the minimum age limit of both men and women bartenders would be 21.

The court had ruled that Section 30 of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 which was applicable in Punjab, Delhi and Haryana - was "unconstitutional" and violated the Articles on fundamental rights.

As per the Punjab Excise Act, women could not be employed as bartenders and men below 25 years also could not be allowed to work as bartenders.

However, the new Excise law will be effective in the capital after getting nod from the Delhi Assembly. With the Delhi Excise Act coming into existence, the 90 years old Punjab Excise Act will be lapsed to exist in Delhi.

The excise laws of Delhi have been governed by the Punjab Excise Act, 1914.