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Uttar Pradesh excise department launches drive against restaurants serving liquor without license
The Uttar Pradesh excise department has started a drive under which the department will take strict action against restaurants and marriage halls that serve liquor without obtaining a license
The excise department has ordered a drive across the state to check if restaurants and marriage halls were serving liquor to customers without having a regular bar license or an occasional liquor license.
“In such cases, where liquor is found being served without obtaining the license, the department would initiate strict action,” additional chief secretary excise Sanjay R Bhoosreddy and excise commissioner Senthil R Pandian said on Monday.
To make it clear that this wasn’t an empty threat, Pandian mentioned a case in Noida, where a restaurant owner was booked, and the manager of the restaurant arrested after seizure of 17 bottles of foreign liquor, including a few open ones, 56 beer cans and bottles from the restaurant.
“Two persons, including manager Gaurav Pandey and Pranay Manral were arrested on the spot. Cases against six others, including Rajendra Singh, Kehar Singh, restaurant owner Yogesh Sharma and Sunil Kumar were registered in the police station, Phase 3, Gautam Buddha Nagar,” Pandian was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the excise department.
The excise department release also revealed the identity of the restaurant stating that it was the ‘Flying Dutchman Restaurant’ against which the action was initiated.
When contacted, an outlet in Noida with the same name as mentioned in the excise department’s release, refused that any action was taken against them.
“We have a proper liquor license. The action must have been taken against some other (outlet),” staff from the Noida based outlet said. Despite several attempts to find the outlet, against whom the action was initiated for their version, HT couldn’t contact the restaurant.
Pay ₹12k to stock liquor at home
The state government has also made the license mandatory for stocking liquor, above a certain quantity, at home.
In March, months after the state cabinet approved the new excise policy, making license mandatory for stocking of liquor at home, the excise department issued notification setting limits for the same. A personal home license has been made mandatory for stocking liquor at home, and the annual fee of the license would be ₹12000 with a security deposit of ₹51000.
