Pub-hoppers decry permit raj

MUMBAI: State excise minister Anil Deshmukh’s sudden decision to enforce the drinking permit law is strange considering that just two years ago, he had publicly denounced the law as outdated’’, and said it needed be scrapped.
“In the present liberalised environment, we do not feel it is necessary for people to hold permits for buying spirits,’’ he told TNN in June 2001, when he was minister state for food, drug and excise.
Unlike Mr Deshmukh, most Mumbaikars—at least those who know of the law—haven’t changed their mind on its redundancy. “It’s not prohibition era any more, it’s ridiculous in these days of globalisation,’’ said one regular pubhopper.
The law was invoked on Tuesday night when over a 1,000 patrons of bars were arrested. Thoughmany were willing to pay, they were taken to civic hospitals for alcohol tests. Most landed up spending the night there, before being produced before a magistrate the next day, and to be released on surety of Rs 2,000.
Introduced before Independence, the Bombay Prohibition Act rules that one has to have a permit to drink any liquor other than beer. To get a permit, you need to be over 21. An annual permit costs Rs 25 and you have to pay Rs 75 for three-year one.
Moreover, you also have to submit a certificate from a registered medical practitioner certifying that “he/she requires foreign liquor and/or country liquor for the preservation and maintenance of his/her health’’—a droll clause repeated in the permit card.
Drinking without a permit could get you up to six months’ imprisonment, according to the Act. Also, each restaurant or bar is required to maintain register with the name of the customer, the drink he orders and the payment.