By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Sept. 30: The Supreme Court has ordered the government to conduct proper inspection of alcohol production for personal consumption and to conduct awareness generating programme throughout the country for discouraging alcohol consumption.
The orders have been given in full text of the judgment by a joint-bench of Justices Hari Krishna Karki and Bam Kumar Shrestha in January over a writ filed at the apex body regarding regulation of liquor by advocate Jagannath Mishra on behalf of Law, Justice and Social Welfare Forum. The full text had recently been made public.
According to the full text, the bench had dismissed the writ citing there were already laws for production, transport, sale and distribution and consumption control of alcohol for business purpose and the authorities were inspecting and regulating it properly.
However, since the authorities have been unable to regulate and inspect production of homemade alcohol for personal consumption, the joint bench had directed the authorities to improve their process and perform their responsibility effectively by giving a five-point order.
The order directs the government to improve its inspection and regulation of homemade liquor for personal consumption under the prevailing laws.
The Liquor Rule under the Liquor Act, 1974 states that Nepalis can produce only five litres of alcohol and 10 litres of Jaad at one time and only up to six times a year for personal consumption without a government license. It also states that the individual should inform the excise duty officer regarding such liquor production.
“Manage effective inspection to check whether individuals produced liquor as per the law or not; discourage production of liquor without permission; and effectively check whether or not those with license are pasting excise stickers,” are some of the orders by the apex body.
Similarly, the order also directs the government to conduct awareness generating programme down to ward level across the country.
“Manage to conduct awareness programme down to ward level in a bid to discourage alcohol consumption citing its negative effects on human health and high chances of death due to poisonous and poor quality alcohol,” read the fifth order by the Supreme Court.
In March, eight individuals from Kshireshwornath Municipality had died after consuming homemade alcohol. Similar incidents have occurred earlier as well. On June 27, 2018, six people had died in Kamala Municipality of Dhanusha due to alcohol poisoning.
Alcohol consumption has been affecting the health of a significant number of individuals across the country and leading to criminal activities, including murder, domestic violence and social crimes, among others.