Did you know that keeping more than 2 bottles of Whisky at your home can land you in serious legal trouble? Excise Department can charge a fine up to Rs. 1 lakh and can register a case against you if you have more than two bottles of Whisky at your place without an L-50 license.
As per the Punjab intoxicants license and sales order 1956, every person is restricted to a certain limit of liquor bottles that can be kept at home. According to this order, a person can keep only 2 bottles of Foreign Liquor whether imported from abroad. This rule applies as per one person. If there are 2 people at home then they can keep 4 bottles of Whisky.
Also, if you want to keep more bottles as compared to the specified quantity then a certain license has to be issued. An L-50 license is issued by the Punjab Excise Department for Rs. 2,500 per year. If you have continuously got that license renewed for 3 years, then you have a permit for lifetime by paying Rs. 20,000
Getting the license was made tougher as earlier Punjab locals used to smuggle liquor from other states at a lower price and then sell it here at high price. These days the demand for L-50 license has increased in government employees. The main reason for the increase in demand is AAP’s anti-corruption drive. Vigilance Bureau Punjab has come in active mode from the time AAP has come to power. When any officer comes under their scanner, multiple liquor bottles are found at their place during the investigation and then case gets registered for the same. To save themselves from the legal action, employees are in hurry to get L-50 license issued.