Now, get your liquor permits at local wine shops

Christmas and New Year approaching and the winter having set in have given revellers the perfect blend for some 'high-spirited' partying. With the celebrations starting to catch up in the city in the run up to Christmas, the state excise department has gelled the spirit of fun with a legality that is followed only in Maharashtra in the country, the mandatory individual permit to consume alcohol, by making the process of getting one easier.

The department has decided to hand out 50,000 one-day permits, which are valid for a day and cost Rs 2 for consuming country liquor and Rs 5 for foreign liquor, to 250 wine outlets in Pune district so that customers can get the permits at the outlets.

People are often reluctant to visit the excise office to procure the permits.

"Although we issue 200-300 one-day liquor permits every day, we thought it better to have these permits at wine shops so that it would make it easy for those who want them. The cost of one-day permit is Rs 2 for country liquor and Rs 5 for foreign liquor. We have told wine shop owners to give these permits to consumers when they buy liquor,'' said superintendent of excise (Pune district) AB Chaskar.

The department has set up special flying squads to keep an eye on parties on the eve of Christmas and New Year and said stringent action will be taken against rule violators.

The department will keep an eye on clubs hosting parties and check whether prior permission has been taken from the entertainment and excise departments to serve liquor.

In view of the recent police raid on Maya Lounge, the department is making it doubly sure that no violation of rules takes place.

The department has also listed do's and don'ts and are reaching out to clubs to apprise them of rules and regulations. Permissions are required from various quarters like the collectorate, the state excise department, the local electrical department, and the health department.

... contd.

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