A thinking problem serious message from 132 bottles of liquor

A thinking problem serious message from 132 bottles of liquor

The Delhi high court recently delivered a verdict we must raise a toast to. The backstory is as Indian as IMFL. In 2020 Delhi’s excise department raided the residence of the petitioner and began prosecution on the ground that he had stored more liquor – 132 bottles, to be precise – than legally permitted. It took two years for the petitioner to get an all-clear from the HC. But while the story is delightful, the larger context is serious. The case embodies the terrible flaws in India’s governance. The state is overly intrusive in areas it doesn’t need to be present and deficient elsewhere. And the intrusiveness is backed by a maze of laws that breed corruption.

Most states have convoluted excise laws designed to infantilise adults and encourage rent-seeking. Maharashtra, till recently, allowed wine to be sold only by outlets that met a threshold in terms of floor space. The requirement was recently removed but permits remain mandatory for consuming anything other than mild beer. MP’s recent excise liberalisation translated into allowing people to store four crates of beer from the earlier limit of one. Liberalisation of excise policies by states merely means that limits will be adjusted. But is there any need for the state to be inspecting liquor cabinets in homes?

Excise policies of states represent unhealthy moralism, which also influences legislation. From there what comes as regulation creates a situation where citizens are harassed and public resources frittered away on non-existent problems. The message in all these bottles is for governments to lighten and smarten up.