Excise Dept makes permit must for Diwali revellers

The Club Licence or Club Permit is not to be confused with the consumption permit, which is granted to individuals for liquor consumption. The former is a must for hosting parties which involve any liquor. Under the Bombay Prohibition Act, the offender can be punished with imprisonment of a minimum of six months or a maximum of two and a half years.

‘‘The organisers of parties are becoming aware of the legal provisions. Nowadays, even during non-festival days, we receive requests for club permits for private parties,’’ Kudale says. The three Excise Dept offices in Mumbai located at CST, Chembur and Bandra sell about 50 such permits on an average non-festival day.

What if a liquor party is hosted without the permit? Nothing, provided the hosts are not caught. If an Excise Department squad happens to arrive and discovers that the club permit is absent, the party spirit is almost certain to be dampened and organisers might well attract the action under the Prohibition Act. The department officials say the latest order on permits is getting a satisfactory response. During the week before Diwali, as many as 150 permits were issued in the Mumbai suburban area and 125 in the city area.

‘‘Most of the parties are planned in advance and hence they buy a permit well before the party. Still, if some parties are being planned now, the department has made arrangements for issuing permits,’’ Kudale informs.

Although govt offices will be closed from Monday to Wednesday on account of Diwali vacation, the permit counter at three excise offices in the city will remain open for a few hours on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. ‘‘The facility is being made available to avoid inconvenience of the party organisers,’’ Kudale says.