CHECKING IDs FOR DRINKING LIQUOR WON'T CURB ROWDYISM

HERE are certain government notices which are predictable and issued at a particular time of the year.

- SIDHARTH MISHRA Author and president, Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice

Like every year, with autumn approaching an end, we see a clutter of environment-related notices on how to control pollution. As the I-Day and Republic Day approach, we see wanted pictures of terrorists. In the 1980s, they were Sikh militants whose pictures with time got replaced with Islamic terror mongers.

Similarly, a month before Diwali, again the media space would be flooded with notices banning the sale of crackers to save the air quality. There would also be inane discussions on using green crackers, whatever they mean. Despite the ban, crackers are burst; despite the notices, pollution takes grip of the city and the wanted terrorist lists continue to remain in circulation.

With Christmas and New Year approaching, celebrations are in the air. Celebrations in Delhi generally boil down to the annihilation of poultry birds and bumper sale of alcohol. With this backdrop comes the notices every year trying to curb the sale of liquor.

One such notice was issued last week stating that hotels, clubs, and restaurants are directed to verify the age of their customers through physical government-issued identity proofs. This notification, the statement said, followed the detection of multiple violations of the legal drinking age norm during recent inspections by the excise department.