Just 12 takers for home bar licence in Lucknow

As per the revised excise rules, the permissible limits include one litre of country liquor and 1.5 litres of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) or foreign liquor

The concept of home bar licence has yet to catch on in the state capital. Just 12 people have secured one this year so far, as per official figures.

(For representation)

For personal consumption, liquor can be legally stored only in limited quantities without a licence. As per the revised excise rules, the permissible limits include one litre of country liquor, 1.5 litres of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) or foreign liquor, two litres of wine, six litres of beer and six litres of low-alcoholic beverages. Beyond these limits, residents must apply for a home bar licence to avoid legal trouble.

Excise officials said that earlier, they registered a case if a person was caught with more liquor than permitted without a license. Now, they were planning provisions, “currently under decision”, to impose fines as well, they added.

Despite the facility of a licence, the officials said only a handful of city residents were opting for it, while the majority preferred to stay within the smaller permissible limits or risk storing more without authorisation.

District excise officer Karunendra Singh said the home bar licence permitted individuals to store more than 100 bottles of liquor, beer, wine, vodka, or rum at home. However, despite this allowance, very few applications were received this year.

To apply, applicants must attach self-certified copies of their last three income tax returns with the application. Officials clarified that even individuals who fall in the 20% tax bracket but have no tax liability due to agricultural income were eligible. Also, the applicant must be a permanent resident of the city.

The annual licence fee has been fixed at around ₹11,000, with an additional ₹11,000 as security deposit. Singh said excise officials acted swiftly on tips or information received about individuals storing liquor in excess of the prescribed limit without a licence. Such violations invite actions, problems and may even lead to legal complications.

The excise department has also imposed restrictions on storing liquor bought from outside Uttar Pradesh. Singh explained that in such cases, the bottles must remain sealed, and the total quantity stored cannot exceed 1 litre.

Interestingly, excise officials admitted that their powers were limited when it came to regulating duty-free alcohol. No clear guidelines have been established to date for taking action in such cases.