Bengaluru: If you are heading out for a drink this weekend or later, relax. You do not have to hand over your identification cards to pub owners or let them scan and store your personal data.
Clearing the air following panic and misinterpretation among party-goers and restaurateurs, home minister Priyank Kharge said there is absolutely no change in the state's legal drinking age or data collection rules. The minimum age for purchasing and consuming alcohol in Karnataka remains 21 years.
The clarification came on the back of recent notifications targeting underage drinking, which some sections of the hospitality industry had misread as a blanket mandate to log details of every single customer.
"Alcohol-serving establishments are not required to check and store the ID of every individual, as some have interpreted. They are expected to verify the ID of those who appear to be below 21 years of age and deny entry unless they are accompanied by adults," the minister said in a post on X.
Any lapse in maintaining this vigilance, however, will be dealt with severely by the authorities. "The recent notification is aimed at preventing underage drinking, protecting young people and ensuring responsible alcohol sale and consumption across the state," Priyank added.
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