Unlikely lower drinking age in Chandigarh Policy 2020-21

The Chandigarh administration is unlikely to accept the demand of the Chandigarh Hospitality Association to reduce the age for liquor consumption in the UT from 25 years to 21 years in the excise policy for the next financial year, 2020-21 to be announced soon.

An official, who is involved in finalising the UT’s excise policy, reportedly said they are not planning to reduce legal drinking age in the city. However, a final call in this regard would be taken by the senior officials, including the UT adviser, he added.

The hospitality association had urged the UT excise and taxation department to reduce the age for consuming liquor in Chandigarh from 25 years to 21 years, citing that since the country’s Constitution provides an 18-year-old person the right to vote and drive, the choice to drink responsibly should be left to the individual, who becomes an adult. The association had stated that lowering the drinking age would also aid the city’s tourism sector.

According to Section 23 of the Punjab Excise Act, 1915, the age for liquor consumption in Chandigarh is 25 years. Last year, the UT had even conducted raids at hotels and slapped penalties to those, who were found serving liquor to customer below that age.

However, majority of hotels, restaurants and bars in the city are least bothered about the age of youngsters, who come to drink and enjoy.

Under the current policy, to promote low alcoholic content beverages, like beer and wine and boost the Indian wine industry, the licence fee was kept the same at Rs. 12,000 and the label registration fee of wine was reduced from Rs 15,000 to Rs 10,000 per brand. Excise duty on microbreweries was also reduced from Rs 50 per bulk litre to Rs 30 to shift consumers from liquor to beer. The licence fees of microbreweries, restaurants/ pubs and bar was also not increased.

An excellent suggestion from an advocate to the UT excise and taxation department, calls for the administration to look into the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, wherein violators should also be penalised. Generally, the hotels and restaurants are fined, at times heavily, for not following this rigorously but let off the hook without the licenses being cancelled. The revenues from sale to the underage adults is so lucrative that they pay the fine and come back with a bang. Overseas practice calls for the cancellation of license instantly, which is a big deterrent and yet fake ID’s is a big business.

For the excise policy of last year, click:

Excise: Chandigarh Policy favourable for Wine and Beer

http://chdpr.gov.in/

For a few of the earlier Articles, visit:

One can buy wine at Petrol Pumps in Chandigarh UT

Raising invoice on Sales may get Chandigarh Excise Rs. 96 Cr. more

Guide to Drinking Age for Wine and Liquor Laws in India

Wine availability made easier in Chandigarh

Subhash Arora

Our view is that it is impractical to keep the drinking age at 25, when besides voting, a significant number are already married and even have kids. The age should ideally be 18, the voting age. But to start with it must be reduced to 21 years with a strict enforcement. The under-aged drinkers in that case must also be tried and prosecuted under law for illegal entry and consumption. The problem today is the corruption where under-age adults and even minors misuse the law which at 25 is in any case, not plausible. The laws against drunken driving are to be enforced strictly, including checking at the entry/exit of the concerned restaurants. The restaurants serving wine and beer should be allowed to serve the beverage to 18 year olds. The restaurants should be made responsible to not serve more if they feel the customer is in inebriated condition. The Jessica Lal murder case is still on the minds of the people, though age was not the factor there, but inebriated (with alcohol and political power)-editor

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