How many liquor bottles can you carry in Delhi Metro?

Nearly a month after the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced that passengers can carry two sealed liquor bottles while travelling via Delhi Metro trains, the excise department of the Delhi government has raised objections over the directive, saying it is “contrary to the law”. Earlier, alcohol bottles were not allowed on Delhi Metro, with only the Airport Express Line being the exception. According to Indian Express, the DMRC did not consult with the excise department before announcing the rule change in June end. “In such cases, the excise department should be informed and consulted, but the DMRC did not do so,” sources told the newspaper. What did DMRC say in June? Why has the excise department flagged the liquor bottles rule? Let’s take a closer look. DMRC declares 2 liquor bottle rule On 30 June, the DMRC said commuters can take up to two sealed alcohol bottles on all nine lines of the Delhi Metro. “A committee comprising officials from CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) and DMRC have reviewed the list and as per the revised list, two sealed liquor bottles can be carried, per person, on the Delhi Metro, at par with the provisions on the Airport Express Line,” Anuj Dayal, principal executive director, corporate communication, DMRC, said, as per Hindustan Times (HT). Dayal emphasised that drinking alcohol inside the Metro premises is not allowed. “In case, any commuter is found behaving in an indecent manner under the influence of alcohol, suitable action shall be taken under the relevant provisions of law,” the official added. According to HT, officials clarified that the norms will not apply entirely to passengers commuting to Noida or Ghaziabad. The DMRC ’s metro network extends to nearby cities such as Haryana’s Gurgaon and Faridabad, and Uttar Pradesh’s Noida and Ghaziabad. [caption id=“attachment_12924892” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Currently, two unsealed bottles of alcohol are allowed on Delhi Metro trains. Reuters (Representational Image)[/caption] As per excise norms in UP, only one unsealed alcohol bottle is permitted from neighbouring Delhi and Haryana into the state, whether by metro or via road. “Although the Delhi Metro has allowed commuters to carry two sealed bottles of liquor, rules of the Uttar Pradesh excise department will apply in UP’s territories, irrespective of any changes in Delhi,” Noida district excise officer Subodh Srivastava told news agency PTI at the time. Delhi excise department wants the rule changed The excise department has sent a notice to the DMRC to allow passengers to carry only one liquor bottle, citing the Delhi Excise Act. As per Indian Express, officials say only one litre of alcohol per person is permitted to be carried in Delhi from other states and two litres from other countries. A senior official told Indian Express the city’s excise rules state that the quantity should be measured in litres, not bottles. “A typical liquor bottle, be it whisky or vodka or rum, is 750 ml. Two bottles make it 1.5 litres, which is not permitted,” the official added. Also, the legal drinking age in Delhi is 25 years. In Haryana’s Gurugram, liquor can be sold to anyone above 18 years of age, while in UP, the legal drinking age is 21 years. “The relaxation means any underage person can bring liquor from other places through Metro trains and consume it in Delhi," a senior excise department officer told PTI. Speaking to Indian Express, an official said: “We got in touch with the DMRC and asked them to take corrective action as per the Delhi Excise Act, which permits one litre per person from outside the state. Hopefully, they will take action soon.” [caption id=“attachment_12924922” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The excise department has sent a notice to the DMRC to allow only one liquor bottle to be carried by Delhi Metro passengers. PTI (Representational Image)[/caption] In its response, DMRC said in a statement that “the decision on what items are permitted for carriage on the Delhi Metro is based upon permissibility by the security agency in charge of handling the same for the DMRC”. “Passengers are expected to follow extant rules and regulations of the concerned state excise department with regard to carrying liquor during cross-border transit,” it added. “However, the concern of the excise department will be conveyed to the security agency to examine accordingly,” the statement read, as per Indian Express. Rise in alcohol sales in Gurgaon According to HT, liquor stores in Delhi have limited options and stock, a crisis triggered after the rollback of the Arvind Kejriwal government’s 2021-22 excise policy last September. This has led to customers flocking to neighbouring Gurgaon, where alcohol is relatively cheap and has more variety. Several liquor businesses also confirmed to the Indian Express newspaper that they have seen a boost in sales following the collapse of the new liquor policy in Delhi. “Wine shops, especially on the border such as in Rajokri and Mehrauli, have seen a spike in customers. The number of people frequenting Golf Course Road shops has also risen. We are now expecting more people with the DMRC announcement. Either way, we are in a comfortable position in terms of sales,” Ravi Gupta, general manager of G-Town Wines, a popular outlet across Gurgaon, told the newspaper. With inputs from agencies