This poll season, stocking up on your tipple in advance might be a good idea for Delhiites and for their counterparts in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Rajasthan.
In a marked departure from the earlier practice of declaring polling day as a ‘dry day’ (no sale of alcohol through retail outlets), the Election Commission has, this time around, issued directives for ban on serving and sale of liquor 48 hours before the date for casting the ballot.
The ban will be effective in all hotels, including starred ones, clubs and restaurants regardless of issuance of licences to them for possession or supply of liquor. The day of counting as has been the norm so far, will continue to be a dry day.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed Excise Departments of poll bound States — Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Delhi — to go dry 48 hours prior to polling day and counting day. liquor will not be served in hotels, including five-star hotels, restaurants and clubs regardless of liquor licences in five poll-bound States from December 2 to end of polling.
As per directives, all hotels, restaurants, clubs and other establishments selling and serving liquor will not be permitted to sell or serve liquor to anyone from November 9 to November 11 and November 17 to 19 in Chhattisgarh. Polling will be held in a two phases in Chhattisgarh on November 11 and November 19.
Similarly, in Delhi and Mizoram, which go to polls on December 4, serving and sale of liquor will be banned from December 2 in all hotels, restaurants and clubs regardless of permit rules. In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the ban will be effective from November 23 and November 29. Election will be held in Madhya Pradesh on November 25; Rajasthan on December 1.
Reacting to ECI guidelines, a senior official of the Excise Department of Delhi Government stated that this is the first time that such directives have been issued on banning the plying of alcohol in all hotels, restaurants and clubs. There are over 200 hotels, including 60 starred hotels, 600 restaurants with bars and several dozen clubs in Delhi. As per estimates, the department nets Rs 10 crore to Rs 11 crore per day as excise duty from the sale of liquor.
Recently, the ECI had directed poll-bound States to regulate the sale of alcohol during elections. Following the directives, the Excise Department has moved a proposal ordering sale of no more than four bottles to one customer at a time. At the moment, excise regulations permit a customer to buy 12 bottles of liquor at a time. The diktat has placed the Excise Department in a fix as it will encourage tipplers to procure bootleg liquor.