Excise dept to help venues secure liquor permits

With the wedding and festive seasons approaching, Delhi’s Excise Department will hold special camps to register banquet halls and farmhouses, reminding operators that serving liquor at each party or ceremony requires a temporary permit costing Rs 15,000 per event, officials said on Friday.

All banquet halls and farmhouses in Delhi hosting marriages, parties, events, or other social functions must obtain a P-10 permit for every event where liquor is served, according to a notice issued by the department.

A separate permit is required for each hall or space where liquor is proposed to be served. The prescribed fee for a P-10 permit is Rs 15,000 per event.

The department will organise a special camp at its office from October 27 to November 16 to facilitate one-time registration of banquet halls and farmhouses on the E-Abkari portal (eabkari.delhi.gov.in).

“All banquet hall and farmhouse owners and operators are advised to complete their registration on the portal. One-time registration will facilitate the instantaneous approval and issuance of P-10 Permits for subsequent events,” the notice said.

The camps aim to boost the department’s revenue ahead of Diwali, the upcoming festivals, and the wedding season, which is expected to pick up in the third week of November, officials said.

The department clarified that merely applying for a P-10 permit does not authorise the purchase or service of liquor at unlicensed premises. Registration is mandatory, it said.

Banquet hall and farmhouse owners and operators must ensure they have obtained a valid P-10 permit for the event in question. They must also maintain proper records of the permit, along with bills and invoices evidencing the purchase of liquor from a licensed liquor vendor in Delhi, the notice said.

The department has asked banquet halls and farmhouses to ensure strict compliance with the requirements, warning that it will deal with violations under the applicable provisions of the Delhi Excise Act and Rules.

The Excise Department issues P-10 permits for serving Indian and foreign liquor at premises without a liquor licence, specifically for parties and events. The general conditions stipulate that the area where liquor is served must be screened off from public view and that liquor can be served only to adults above 25 years of age.

Under the permit, liquor served at parties or events must be purchased from authorised sources in Delhi. The permit holder must retain the original bill issued by the liquor vendor from which it was procured, officials said.

The rules do not prescribe a fixed maximum quantity of liquor that can be served under a P-10 permit. The quantity depends on the applicant’s estimated requirement based on the number of guests at the event, they said.

Hosts may apply for an L-30 licence within seven days of the event or return the leftover stock if it exceeds nine litres of liquor or 18 litres of beer, according to the rules.

Estimates suggest Delhi has more than 1,500 banquet halls and farmhouses offering space for parties and weddings. The Excise Department regularly conducts registration drives for such premises to ensure that liquor is served legally and the government does not lose revenue, officials added.