Govt preparing to strictly control alcohol consumption

The government is preparing to bring in stringent rules to control the consumption of alcohol.

Saying that drinking alcohol is one of the reasons for rising crime and social problems, the government is going to ban the sales and consumption of alcohol except in prescribed areas and in prescribed times.

First, the government has asked the retailers to finish off their current stock of alcohol within few weeks after which only the licensed retailers will be allowed to trade in the alcohol.

“Then, we will subsequently announce strict measures whereby the alcohol will have to be sold from a place where everyone can see, within certain time and to certain age-group of people,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bamdev Gautam.

“Those who want to buy alcohol will have to give their name, their father’s name and their grandfather’s name to the seller. He will have to produce citizenship certificate and, then only, he can take the alcohol to his home for consumption,” Gautam said.

The minister said that the government will also take steps to regularise the traditional consumption of alcohol in certain communities. “There are communities like Newar and Magar where alcohol consumption is linked with tradition and religion. That will be regularised,” he said.

Gautam added that the practice of making alcohol in homes and selling them in villages will be controlled.

“The government is prepared to bear with any loss of revenue when launching this kind of campaign,” he said.

Gautam’s anti-alcohol drive has come amid his announcement that he will control law and order situation within six months. nepalnews.com sd Oct 08 08