The Delhi government is thinking of lowering the legal drinking age for beer from 25 to 21. This will make it the same as in nearby states. Private shops may also get permission to sell beer. The proposal was discussed in a meeting with ministers, officers, and liquor sellers during a review of the excise policy. The drinking age in Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad is 21 years. Officials say that one age rule will stop black market liquor and also increase government income.
The Delhi Excise Act 2009 says breaking the age rule is a crime. The draft of the new policy is still being made. In the first meeting of the high-level committee, other big changes were also discussed. The meeting was led by Public Works Minister Parvesh Verma with liquor industry people. The committee also has Industry Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Home Minister Ashish Sood, and senior Excise Department officers.
Hybrid Model of Liquor Shops
In the meeting, a hybrid model was discussed for liquor shops. In this model, government shops will be mixed with private shops. Right now, liquor is sold only in government shops in Delhi.
Delhi Considers Lowering Legal Age For Drinking Beer From 25 To 21https://t.co/qAEqWCW1A3 pic.twitter.com/TIblINwlXe
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Work on Premium Brands
The last Aam Aadmi Party government stopped private licenses in 2022. Its new excise policy for private shops had created controversy and led to CBI and ED cases of corruption. Earlier, there was a hybrid model. Now the BJP government is thinking of bringing it back.
The committee is also looking at ways to improve the supply of premium Indian and foreign liquor brands. Many of these are not available in Delhi or are found in small numbers. Because of this, people go to nearby states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to buy them.
