NEW DELHI: With a number of commuters continuing to carry two bottles of liquor from the neighbouring states to Delhi in the metro trains, Delhi government has asked Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to change its rule and restrict such passengers.In a letter to DMRC on October 6, Delhi government asked the mass transit company to also inform the general public about the extant rules and the permissible limit of liquor to be carried by them while commuting in the metro trains.As per the Delhi Excise Act, only one litre of liquor - rum, vodka and whisky - in a sealed bottle can be carried from the neighbouring states to the national capital. Since excise is a state subject, every state government has different rules in this regard. While the government of Haryana also allows the commuters to bring only one litre of liquor from another state, Uttar Pradesh has kept the limit to one unsealed bottle.Any person violating the rule can be imprisoned for up to three years and may have to cough up a fine of up to Rs 3 lakh in the capital.In June this year, DMRC had permitted commuters to carry two sealed bottles of alcohol per person on its network. Earlier, carrying alcohol was banned in the metro in Delhi except on the Airport Express Line. Since there was constant demand from the commuters travelling by metro to be allowed to carry alcohol, the two-bottle norm was recommended by a committee comprising officers of DMRC and Central Industrial Security Force, the agency that looks after security at metro stations.Officials, however, said due to the difference in prices of liquor in Delhi and Haryana, a lot of people carry liquor from Faridabad and Gurgaon to the capital. "While we do have enforcement teams that keep an eye on state borders and often seize liquor being smuggled into Delhi from the neighbouring towns, it is practically not possible to check what people are bringing in the metro trains. This can only be checked by the security agencies at the metro stations," said an official.Officials said a similar request to change the norm was made by the excise department to DMRC through a letter on August 3. DMRC confirmed that it had received a letter from the excise department and added that it was being examined keeping in view certain clarifications asked earlier as it runs operations in jurisdictions involving different states.

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