New Delhi: Delhi’s excise department issued a public notice Friday mandating that banquet halls and farmhouses secure a separate liquor permit (P-10) for every function serving alcohol ahead of the upcoming wedding and festive seasons.“All banquet halls and farmhouses hosting weddings, parties or other social functions in Delhi must obtain a separate P-10 permit for serving liquor at each event. Serving liquor without the mandatory permit would amount to the violations of excise rules and could invite penal action,” said an official.Venues must obtain a separate P-10 permit, costing Rs 15,000 per event, for each hall or designated space serving alcohol on the premises. Permits are location-specific and cannot be shared across multiple areas or events within the same venue.To simplify the process of obtaining the permits, the excise department will organise a special camp at its office from Oct 27 to Nov 16 to facilitate one-time registration of banquet halls and farmhouses on the E-Abkari portal (eabkari.delhi.gov.in).The notice advises owners and operators to complete a one-time registration during this period. Once registered, establishments will receive instant approval and issuance for all future P-10 permits without repeating the registration process.The department has, however, clarified that registration on the portal or application submission does not authorise purchasing or serving liquor. A valid permit must be issued for the specific event before any liquor can be served. “Applying for a permit alone is not sufficient, and serving liquor before its approval would amount to a violation of the excise rules,” said an official.Venue owners and operators must maintain records of all event permits alongside invoices proving the liquor was purchased from licensed Delhi vends. These documents must be available to establish compliance.
