New Delhi: Following complaints of illegal serving of liquor at banquet halls, farmhouses and halls at events, parties and wedding functions without obtaining the mandatory temporary P-10 licence, Delhi government has asked the operators of all such premises to register with the excise department in advance.
In a recent order, the deputy commissioner (excise) said the online registration, without any payment, would begin on December 25.“In case any excise violation is found on the premises, it may be debarred for at least three months from applying for P-10 permits in the first case,” the order stated. “In case of repeat violation, the premises would be debarred for one year.”
Temporary licences, known as P-10 licence, are meant for individuals to serve liquor at private parties. It can be obtained on paying Rs 10,000, except for motels, banquet halls and farmhouses where the fee is 15,000.
A senior official said the enforcement team conducted random checks at the venues where wedding and related events and private parties were organised and penal action was taken against the host if alcoholic beverages were found to be served without the permit.
According to the data accessed by TOI, 8,237 P-10 licences were issued during five months of the festival and wedding season, from October 1 to February 28, in the 2022-23 fiscal, while only 5,353 such permits were issued in seven months, from March 1 to September 30, this year. In two months of the festival season this year in October and November, only 1,716 P-10 licences were issued.
Officials said a large number of events during Christmas, New Year and at wedding-related functions were organised during this time, but only a handful of them procured the temporary licence.
The excise department had in November reissued instructions to the city’s restaurants debarring them from applying for temporary licences to serve liquor.
While 935 hotels, clubs and restaurants have the excise licence to serve liquor, the number of standalone restaurants that can obtain liquor licence is 5,374.
“These restaurants use the P-10 licence to buy stock from retailers instead of having a regular excise licence because of the higher fee as compared to the charges for the temporary permit. This leads to excise revenue loss to the state exchequer,” said an official.
“We also lose out on additional excise duty, which is up to 20% of the price of a bottle, on the sale of each bottle of alcohol sold to a restaurant with a regular licence,” the official added.
In a recent order, the deputy commissioner (excise) said the online registration, without any payment, would begin on December 25.“In case any excise violation is found on the premises, it may be debarred for at least three months from applying for P-10 permits in the first case,” the order stated. “In case of repeat violation, the premises would be debarred for one year.”
Temporary licences, known as P-10 licence, are meant for individuals to serve liquor at private parties. It can be obtained on paying Rs 10,000, except for motels, banquet halls and farmhouses where the fee is 15,000.
A senior official said the enforcement team conducted random checks at the venues where wedding and related events and private parties were organised and penal action was taken against the host if alcoholic beverages were found to be served without the permit.
According to the data accessed by TOI, 8,237 P-10 licences were issued during five months of the festival and wedding season, from October 1 to February 28, in the 2022-23 fiscal, while only 5,353 such permits were issued in seven months, from March 1 to September 30, this year. In two months of the festival season this year in October and November, only 1,716 P-10 licences were issued.
Officials said a large number of events during Christmas, New Year and at wedding-related functions were organised during this time, but only a handful of them procured the temporary licence.
The excise department had in November reissued instructions to the city’s restaurants debarring them from applying for temporary licences to serve liquor.
While 935 hotels, clubs and restaurants have the excise licence to serve liquor, the number of standalone restaurants that can obtain liquor licence is 5,374.
“These restaurants use the P-10 licence to buy stock from retailers instead of having a regular excise licence because of the higher fee as compared to the charges for the temporary permit. This leads to excise revenue loss to the state exchequer,” said an official.
“We also lose out on additional excise duty, which is up to 20% of the price of a bottle, on the sale of each bottle of alcohol sold to a restaurant with a regular licence,” the official added.