Nepali gov't to strictly control alcohol consumption
8/10/2008 17:20
The Nepali government is preparing to bring in stringent rules to control
the consumption of alcohol, the Nepalnews.com reported today.
As 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, the report cited an official as
saying.
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,"
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bamdev Gautam was quoted by the website
as saying.
"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 regularize the traditional consumption of alcohol in
certain communities.
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.
Xinhua
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