Delhi HC issues notice to Delhi govt over petition challenging reducing legal age for consumption of liquor

New Delhi [India], July 28 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to Delhi Govt on the petition seeking to strike off the clause in the new Excise Policy, which, the petitioner says, seeks to reduce the age for consumption of liquor in the national capital.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh asked the Delhi government and others to file a reply and listed the matter for further hearing on September 16.
The petition was filed by NGO All India Bhrashtachar Virodhi Morcha through the Advocate Vijay Sharma.
According to the petition, the petitioner is working in the society at the grassroot level and there is an opinion among a lot of people that reducing the age for consumption of liquor is going to increase alcoholism amongst the students and younger generation of the society and the closure of the Government vends is a decision which is not in the public interest as explained in detail in the subsequent paragraphs.
The petitioner said that he has filed the present Petition for the benefit of the common people of the city of Delhi as the increase of alcoholism amongst the students and the younger generation in the society will lead to all the consequent problems arising therefrom. Article 47 of The Constitution of India states that the State shall endeavor to bring about prohibition of consumption except for medicinal purposes of intoxicating drinks which are injurious to health.
Further the common people who are the consumers of the liquor are also going to be affected in as much as they are assured about the quality of the liquor when they purchase from the Govt. vends whereas the said assurance shall not be there in case of private vends, the petitioner said.
"Issue a writ of mandamus or any other writ (s), order(s) or direction to the Respondent to quash/ strike off/drop the clause/provision in the Excise Policy 2021-22 which seeks to reduce the age for consumption of liquor in consonance with that of neighboring states, " read the petition.
The petition has sought to issue direction to the respondent to strike the clause in the Excise Policy 2021-22 which states that there shall be no Government-owned liquor vends for Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) & Foreign Liquor (FL) and which provides for only privately owned vends for sale of IMFL & FL. (ANI)