If you live in Noida or Greater Noida and plan to host a party at home or a community hall where alcohol will be served, it’s recommended to apply for an occasional bar license to stay in accordance with the law. Not having a liquor license for gatherings, even at home or community events, is a violation of regulations and may lead to legal actions, including fines, warned Subodh Kumar Srivastava, District Excise Officer (DEO) for Gautam Buddh Nagar.

To address people’s poor awareness of excise-related rules, authorities have started reaching out to residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) and citizens, informing them about guidelines for procuring occasional licences.

“If anyone is serving liquor with a licence, whether it is liquor meant for sale in Uttar Pradesh or outside the state, it is totally illegal. It will attract action (from the excise department),” Srivastava said.

Occasional licenses for serving alcohol at gatherings are offered in two categories. The first, priced at INR 4,000, is intended for individuals hosting small gatherings such as house parties. The second category, priced at INR 11,000, permits serving alcohol to larger crowds at events held in community halls, restaurants, banquets, and similar venues, according to the information provided.

“Both these occasional licences are valid for one day. Applicants can apply for them on the website — upexciseportal.in — under the category of useful public services,” the DEO said.

He further mentioned that the public outreach efforts by the excise department are yielding positive results, with an increasing number of individuals now applying for occasional bar licenses.

Official statistics reveal that from April 1 to November 30, 2022, a total of 5,820 such licenses were issued. In contrast, during the corresponding period in the current fiscal year, 8,770 licenses were issued, reflecting a 40% increase.

“The department issued 900 occasional bar licences in November alone, which is the highest in recent times for a single month. This also led to huge revenue earning for the government,” Srivastava said.

On the objective behind the policy covering even private celebrations at home, the excise officer said its advantages are multifold.

“First, when you take a licence, it will ensure that the liquor served in a party would be authentic and not illicit. This will also make sure that the applicant buys liquor locally which is meant for consumption only within the state and is not procured from other states, which would cause a revenue loss to the government,” he explained.

The officer added that the department has also issued a helpline number 8882120733 where residents can share information on the consumption of illegal narcotics or drugs, or any other tip-off related to liquor use.

Asked how would excise officials come to know if liquor is being served at someone’s private party at home, Srivastava said the excise department has a widespread network of informers across the district and also gets information through liquor vends and outlets, which notice abnormally high sales.

“Moreover, sometimes neighbours get annoyed and raise an alarm about nuisance at such parties which leads to offenders landing in the excise net,” the officer added.