Withdraw order allowing commuters to carry liquor in trains: DMRC told

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A traders' body on Monday said it has appealed to the DMRC, urging it to take back its decision to allow commuters to carry two sealed liquor bottles in Delhi Metro trains.

The Chamber of Trade and Industry, in a statement, alleged that anti-social activities will increase if liquor is permitted to be carried inside trains and said that a delegation of the traders' body will meet DMRC chief Vikas Kumar to discuss the issue.

"The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has given permission to carry two sealed bottles of liquor (per person) in the Metro. Now there is an opposition to it. The CTI has written a letter to DMRC's Managing Director, Vikas Kumar (on this matter), the statement said.

CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal has requested that the DMRC should "withdraw its decision", alleging that anti-social activities can increase if carrying of a liquor bottle in the metro is allowed.

"If someone takes a bottle inside, opens it and starts drinking, how will it be stopped," the CTI said in the statement.

CTI Women's Council president Malvika Sahni claimed that she has "received calls and messages" from several women that permission should not be given to carry bottled liquor in the Metro.

The Metro network spans Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. These states have their own excise policy. This decision should be withdrawn, the statement said.

The DMRC in June permitted commuters to carry two sealed bottles of alcohol per person on Delhi Metro trains. Earlier, carrying alcohol was banned in the Delhi Metro except on the Airport Express Line.

Within a month of the DMRC's decision, the Excise Department of the city government red-flagged the relaxation and sought it to be changed for being contrary to the law.

According to the Excise Act, only one sealed bottle of liquor like rum, vodka and whisky could be carried from one state to another, a senior Excise Department officer recently said.

The Metro trains ferry commuters between Delhi and NCR cities like Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad, and allowing two sealed bottles to be carried by any person will violate the Act, the officer said.