New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS) In a bid to curb the menace of public drinking in Delhi, those consuming liquor in public places will be arrested from November 7 onwards, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Wednesday.
A strict vigil will be maintained at liquor stores and surrounding areas to discourage public consumption of liquor and causing public nuisance, he said.
The decision in this regard was taken at a high-level meeting of the Excise Department chaired by him.
"We have decided on a three-fold approach. Over the next week, special teams will inspect all liquor stores across the city to ensure that the licence terms are not violated," Sisodia said.
"We will simultaneously run a public awareness campaign, appealing to the public not to consume liquor in public areas. If someone still consumes liquor in public areas after November 7, we will arrest them and take appropriate action," he added.
Public drinking attracts a fine of Rs 5,000 and double the amount if anyone creates nuisance in public after drinking.
Special teams of excise officials have been formed to enforce the plan.
Sisodia said the teams will also survey the areas around the liquor stores to identify other businesses promoting public consumption of liquor, including those selling disposable glasses and snacks etc.
"The ambience around the shops will also be inspected. Thereafter, our teams will ensure that closed-circuit televisions are also installed outside the shops for foolproof monitoring," Sisodia said.
"We will see if liquor shops have followed last year's order to install CCTVs on their premises. Checks will be conducted to see if these CCTVs are functioning properly," he added.
The announcement came days after Sisodia led a team of excise officials to raid four liquor stores in an east Delhi market.
