Noida excise dept issues 1,000 temporary bar licences in November

Noida DEO Subodh Kumar said that a total of 1,032 occasional licenses were issued by the department between November 1 and November 30 this year

NOIDA: Over 1,000 temporary bar licenses were issued by the Noida excise department this November, generating a revenue of over ₹ 1 crore -- the highest ever for the district, said the District Excise Officer (DEO) on Wednesday.

11 licences were issued for farmhouses in November (HT Photo/Sunil Ghosh)

According to the excise department rules, to serve alcohol at a party or function in Noida, an occasional bar licence is issued for ₹ 11,000. The licencee has to use liquor made for sale in Uttar Pradesh (UP).

Noida DEO Subodh Kumar said that a total of 1,032 occasional licenses were issued by the department between November 1 and November 30 this year.

“We have generated a revenue of over ₹1 crore from occasional bar licenses in November this year. This is in stark contrast to last year when just 232 occasional licenses were issued in the month of November,” the officer said told HT on Thursday at his office in Surajpur, Greater Noida.

The spike in applications for occasional licenses during November can be attributed to the consistent awareness meetings with resident welfare associations (RWAs), wedding banquet owners, and event planners in Noida by the excise department, to make them aware about the excise rules, Kumar said.

He added that 440 occasional bar licenses were issued this October, compared to only 248 given during the same time last year. “Compared to October, more licenses were issued in November because of festivals and wedding season.”

Comparing the total number of licenses issued throughout the financial year till now, the DEO said that 2,950 more licenses have been issued so far this year.

“Last financial year, 5,820 occasional bar licenses were issued between April 1 and November 30. Whereas in this financial year, a total of 8,770 licenses have been issued from April 1 to November 30 already, which is 2,950 more licenses this year,” said the officer.