The Metro trains ferry commuters between Delhi and NCR cities like Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad, and allowing two sealed bottles to be carried by any person will be in violation of the Act.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has reiterated the importance of complying with state excise regulations when transporting liquor on Metro trains. Last year, DMRC granted permission for passengers to carry up to two sealed liquor bottles per person. However, this relaxation has sparked concerns about potential issues related to cross-border travel, given the differing regulations across states. In June 2023, DMRC announced the allowance of two sealed liquor bottles per passenger within its extensive network covering the National Capital Region (NCR), including Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, and Noida. This decision faced opposition from the Delhi government, which argued that it contradicted local excise laws.
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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 like rum, vodka and whisky can be transported from one state to another.
The Metro trains ferry commuters between Delhi and NCR cities like Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad, and allowing two sealed bottles to be carried by any person will be in violation of the Act, the officer added.
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.
The DMRC was asked by the Excise department in its notice to change the relaxation of carrying two bottles of liquor to one so that it did not constitute a violation of the Excise Act.
