GENERAL

 

1.                  All licenses, whether for wholesale or for retail sale of country liquor (L-14A), Indian Made Foreign Liquor (L-2) and Bhang shall be granted subject to the provisions of the Punjab Excise Act (1 of 1914) and the rules/orders framed thereunder from time to time. A licensee shall himself be responsible for fulfilling any other obligations under any other law not specifically mentioned in these announcements.

2.                  No  person shall be allowed to bid  for any license unless he has deposited a sum of Rs.500/-  for each  auction  venue into the Government Treasury or makes such deposit with the Presiding Officer at the time of auction. While getting such receipt he shall give his complete address and append his full signature on it. This entry fee will be non-refundable and non-adjustable.

3.                  When the bid for any license exceeds the figure of Rs.1000/- each further bid shall be multiple of Rs.500/-.

4.                   (i)  As laid down in sub-section (2) of section 34 of the Punjab Excise Act (1 of 1914) the license granting authority may require the highest bidder to furnish security or to make a reasonable deposit in lieu of security for the observance of the conditions of the license, which will be enforced rigidly.

(ii)               To ensure that a successful bidder for a License does not fall under the purview of order 7 of the Punjab Intoxicants License and Sales Orders, 1956, he may, before the issue of this license, be required to file an affidavit on a non-judicial stamp paper of the value of Rs. 3/- to the effect that he has not been convicted of any non-bailable offence by a criminal court or any offence under The Punjab Excise Act, 1914. The East Punjab Opium and Smoking Act 1948, The East Punjab Molasses (Control) Act, 1948, The Indian Power Alcohol Act, 1948, The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, etc.  as in force in the territory of the Punjab for the sale of an intoxicant or has had that license cancelled for failing to pay its license fee and has subsequently not paid the arrears demanded and that he is not a defaulter and has paid all the dues of excise revenue and that for the year 1968-69, he has paid 85% or more of all his dues of that year by 31st March, 1969 and has also withdrawn all litigation in the form of civil suit(s), writ petition(s) and Appeal(s) in the local courts, Punjab and Haryana High Court and/or the Supreme Court of India, etc. He shall further be required to furnish a valid income tax clearance certificate and a valid clearance certificate about the tax leviable under the Punjab General Sales Tax Act, 1948.

(iii)             The Presiding Officer, may for reasons to be recorded in writing refuse to accept the highest bid.

(iv)              The Excise Commissioner may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, reject any bid accepted by the Collector or the Presiding Officer, as the case may be within a period of 15 days from the date of auction or the 31st March whichever is earlier.

(v)                Where a bid has been rejected under the above provisions, the Collector may resell the license by auction or by negotiations.

5.                  No remission of license fee realizable from the licensee shall be allowed, except in accordance with the provisions of law and no representations from licensed vendors for the grant of relief on account of sales falling short of their expectations shall be entertained.

Provided that the Government will consider to grant the appropriate relief in the light of prevailing situation.

6.                  (i)  The provisions of Section 9 and 10 (i) of the Punjab Shop and Commercial Establishments Act (15 of 1958) in the areas where it is enforce; shall remain in-operative in the case of premises licensed under the Punjab Excise Act (1 of 1914). Such licensed premises, however, shall remain closed on Mahatma Gandhis Birthday (2nd October). On 26th January and 15th August the period of closure of vends shall be from 7-00 AM to 5-00 PM.  The liquor vends shall be allowed to open from 5-00 PM to 11-00 PM. On all other days, the liquor vends shall open at 7.00 AM and close at 11.00 PM. Minimum penalty of Rs.50,000/- shall be imposed for violating the provision of closed day.

(ii)               The vend premises shall be such that they have only one door for entry and exit.

7.                  (i)  Pictures and photographs of Mahatma Gandhi, Shri Jawahar Lal Nehru, present and past Presidents and Prime Ministers of India, or other prominent leaders shall not be exhibited on any vend premises in Punjab under the Punjab Excise Act.

(ii)               The licensee shall

(a)               not display decorative lights at the licensed premises ;

(b)               not display liquor in glass windows at the licensed premises ; and

(c)               display anti-drinking slogans/mottos prominently as and when required by the Punjab Excise Department at the licensed premises.

8.                  (i)  Licensed vendors shall have to make their own arrangements for procuring suitable premises to carry on their business and no shop will be requisitioned for them by the Government.

(ii)  Licensed vendors shall at no time advertise sale of liquor either by announcing it on the loud-speakers or in any form whatsoever at the licensed premises or anywhere else.

9.                  Licenses in form L-2 and L-14A shall not be run on premises used as hotels or restaurants or at places providing eatables.

10.             All vend licenses in form L-2 and L-14A shall be located at a reasonable distance from place of public entertainment, railway stations, colonies of labourers and Harijans and Guru Gobind Singh Marg. The liquor vends on National Highway/State Highway (except in case of vends located in the areas of Municipal Corporation / Municipal Committees / Housing Board or any other local Authorities/Urban Estate/an area developed by the colonizers with the approval of the Government), shall be located at a distance as stipulated in the Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Area Restriction of Unregulated Development Act, 1963 (41 of 1963).  However, regarding location, the vends shall also have to conform to the conditions laid down in any other Act/Rules, as well.

11.             The liquor vends shall not be allowed to be located within 50 meters in the case of Corporation/Municipal limits and within 200 meters in the case of other areas from educational institutions or religious places.