Moral-police BJP guns for proposed beer-liberalisation

Mukhi found Excise Minister Mahinder Singh Saathi’s argument to liberalise liqour sale “very funny”.

“If the government is only interested in revenue, then it should earn it by opening more and more wine shops, or by privatising the liqour business,” Mukhi said.

“But the real objective should be to curb the consumption of liqour,” he said.

He also ridiculed the argument that many people only look for one mug of beer and, therefore, beer pubs will not increase beer sale. He said that Bangalore was a good example where because of the pub culture, “a good centre of higher education was being vitiated”.

Giving a suggestion on opening beer pubs, he said, “The licences will have to be issued with the same terms and conditions as are applicable to the resturants serving liqour.”

Speaking on the lack of an excise policy, he said: “The Delhi government has failed to finalise the excise policy which should be been implemented by April 1.”

But Delhi’s excise policy has been rated the best in the country because total sale of liqour and beer is controlled by the government, which is not controlled in any other state. “We can frame any policy and implement it effectively,” he said.

Expressing surprise at Saathi’s statement on the government allowing liqour in farmhouses and banquet halls after paying a licence fee of Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively, he said: “No farmhouse is meant for commercial purpose and does not hold a food licence and is not approved by the tourism department. All parties held in farmhouses are illegal and irregular.”

He said that same was the case with banquet halls as they neither have food licence.

“Drinking is a social evil and this government is planning to encourage it, and this will attract a lot of protest,” he said.