Punjab sets new rules for wedding functions

Calcutta News.Net
Thursday 4th December, 2008 (IANS)

If planning to hold a wedding function in Punjab, then do not forget to maintain the bills and receipts. The state government Thursday issued comprehensive instructions for holding of wedding and other social functions to ensure that the state did not incur loss of revenue.

The new instructions will be applicable to all wedding and other social functions organised privately by people at wedding palaces and banquet halls across the state.

The state has nearly 1,000 marriage palaces and banquet halls. These are used not only by Punjab residents but also a large number of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who come here for functions.

The new rules clearly specify that liquor at such venues would be served only after obtaining the required liquor permit from excise and taxation officials.

Only liquor that has been bought from authorised liquor outlets in Punjab would be allowed to be served. Serving liquor smuggled from another state would invite action for the person holding the function and also the owner of the marriage palace, an official spokesman said here Thursday.

No liquor bought from defence canteens, which is available at much cheaper rates than the market rates, would be allowed to be served, he added.

'It has been observed that in marriage palaces and banquet halls, especially in the vicinity of Chandigarh, liquor meant for sale in Chandigarh is being consumed in marriages and other functions. This is an offence under Punjab Excise Act and the offender can face action. Owners of marriage palaces have also been directed not to allow the use of unauthorised liquor in their premises,' a senior state excise and taxation official told IANS.

Regarding eatables at such functions, people organising these will have to ensure that the caterer supplying cooked food to be served to the guests should issue a sale invoice or bill of the eatables to ensure that value added tax (VAT) due had been charged by him.

In case the eatables are cooked by a 'Halwai' (sweet-meat maker) from raw material supplied by the organisers, it would be ensured that organisers are in possession of cash bills covering the purchases of all the raw materials consumed for the preparation of eatables.

Violation of the new rules would lead to penalty, the official said.

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