Thiruvananthapuram, The Keralam government will take stringent action against bars that serve alcohol to people below the legal age of 23, Excise Minister M Liju told the Assembly on Tuesday.
Replying to a question raised by Ernakulam MLA T J Vinod on the Mini Cooper crash that killed three youngsters near Kochi on Sunday, the minister said the Excise Department had registered cases against three bars for allegedly serving liquor to the accused persons below the prescribed age.
The minister also said the government was considering stricter guidelines to prevent bars from serving alcohol to people below 23 years of age.
“The state government will not compromise on this issue under any circumstances,” Liju said. He said the Excise Department acted immediately after the incident came to his attention and that he had instructed senior officials to take prompt action. “The government will take strong and more stringent action against bars in the state that serve alcohol to people below the age of 23,” he said. Liju said several road accidents in the state had been caused by people driving under the influence of alcohol and other intoxicating substances. The minister said the existing Abkari Act contained provisions to act against bars that served alcohol to people below the legal age, and the government was considering further measures to strengthen enforcement.
