While foreign tourists holidaying in the Capital can tip glasses as long as they are over the legal drinking age in their respective countries, young Delhiites between 18 and 25 years of age, who had been hoping to drink in peace at the city’s watering holes, will have to wait longer than was initially anticipated.
According to a senior government official, who is privy to developments in this regard, the much-debated proposal to lower the legal drinking age in Delhi from 25 years to 21 years has been dropped from the draft of the new excise policy being prepared by the Excise Department of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
While the government wanted the policy ready by the first week of April, opinion is now divided over whether to allow the existing policy to continue till the end of this month.
“Lowering the drinking age in Delhi won’t be a possibility this time as the government is of the view that the issue needs to be subjected to a longer public debate,” claimed a source.
The Delhi Tourism and Culture Minister had, in September last year, proposed that the legal drinking age in Delhi needed to be lowered to 21 years.
On Tuesday, however, the Minister could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.
“But, at the same time, the new policy will seek to enhance the quality of Delhi’s night life – especially from the perspective of foreign tourists – by allowing them to drink as per legal limits, such as 21 for US citizens, 16 to 18 years for Austrians and 18 for Chinese tourists, as prescribed by their governments back home,” the source added.
While its contours, including the cost of licences are still being worked out, the new policy, according to an official, envisaged halving the price of a 24-hour liquor serving licence and, in effect, allowing alcohol to be served at 150 watering holes in the Capital round the clock.
Members of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) have repeatedly asked the Delhi government to make conditions more conducive to the growth of the restaurant industry.
Riyaaz Amlani, NRAI president, said they had three demands — extending weekend operating hours till 3 a.m., lowering legal drinking age to 21 years and allowing them to serve in open spaces like terraces.
