The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has emphasised that commuters need to adhere to the excise rules of the respective states when carrying liquor bottles on Metro trains. This advisory comes in light of the permission granted last year by DMRC allowing passengers to carry two sealed liquor bottles per person. However, this relaxation has led to concerns regarding cross-border transit, particularly with varying state regulations.
Permission and Objections
In June 2023, DMRC permitted the carrying of two sealed liquor bottles per passenger within its network, which spans across the National Capital Region (NCR), including Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, and Noida. This decision was met with objections from the Delhi government, citing that it contravenes local excise rules.
DMRC Managing Director Vikas Kumar clarified, “Whatever the Delhi government has authorized us is permitted. The excise rules of the particular state prevail.” According to a senior official from the Excise Department, the Excise Act stipulates that only one sealed bottle of liquor can be transported from one state to another. Therefore, allowing two sealed bottles in Metro trains would violate the Act when crossing state borders.
DMRC Principal Executive Director Anuj Dayal reiterated this stance, saying, “We are not specifying either one or two bottles. Whatever number of bottles are permitted, since we operate in Delhi, UP, and Haryana, the excise law of the state will prevail.”
Metro passengers are expected to follow the respective state excise laws. For example, if a commuter boards a train in Delhi with two liquor bottles but is headed to Uttar Pradesh, they must comply with UP’s rule of carrying only one sealed bottle.
This clarification comes after the Delhi government’s Excise Department issued a notice to DMRC last year, requesting a change in the relaxation from two bottles to one to prevent any violations of the Excise Act. Prior to this, carrying alcohol was banned in the Delhi Metro trains, except on the Airport Express Line.
As the DMRC continues to ferry passengers between Delhi and NCR cities, it urges commuters to stay informed about and comply with the existing state excise regulations to avoid any legal complications during their journey.