In a move to engage citizens in its ongoing drive against open drinking, Delhi government on Wednesday decided to issue a WhatsApp number through which people can register complaints against those consuming liquor in public places in the national capital.
Noting that 1,500 violators have been caught since the launch of drive last November, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia termed the move a “success”.
The decision to issue WhatsApp number was taken at a review meeting, chaired by Sisodia, where senior officers of Excise Department briefed him about the action taken during the ongoing drive.
Sisodia, who also holds the excise portfolio, had launched the drive on November 7 last year, contending that consumption of alcohol in the open, particularly near liquor vends and in vehicles, was not merely a safety hazard but a major problem for women security.
“There has been a decline in the cases of people consuming liquor in public places since the launch of drive… the Excise Department of Delhi government has conducted indiscriminate raids following which over 1,500 violators have been caught,” Sisodia tweeted in Hindi.
According to the new law in Delhi, drinking in public and creating nuisance will attract a fine of Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000, respectively, besides imprisonment of six months.