Minimun age for drinking stays 21

BANGALORE: Here’s a reason to celebrate. The Karnataka State Government has no plans to increase the minimum age for drinking from 21 years to 25 years as was recently done in the state of Maharashtra.Excise Minister M P Renukacharya said, “The department of Excise has no proposal to serve liquor to people who are below 21 years”.The decision of the Maharashtra government to raise minimum age for alcohol consumption to 25 years from 21 years has evoked mixed responses in the state.Arvind Jannu, Excise Commissioner said, “It is not necessary to follow the same judgment in the state. So far, the state government has not issued any stricture in regard to this effect. But certainly, we have no complaints against people at the age group of 21 to take their own individual decisions on the matter.” Liquor has brought the highest revenue to the state in recent times. The State Government has earned `8,084.72 crore from the excise revenue in 2010-11 and has targeted revenue of `8,516.28 crore in the present financial year.