Pune: The excise office in Pune is a hive of activity these days. Cartons of seized alcohol line the walls of the first-floor office. Luxury cars like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, and Audi A8 drop off wealthy, well-dressed residents at the run-down building, where they arrive to submit applications for liquor licences they should already possess. On the third floor, two police officers are busy gluing passport photographs onto new paper licences with Feviquick.
The number of applications, especially online, for liquor licences and single-day permits for alcohol consumption has skyrocketed in Pune over the past three weeks, say excise officials. The printing press is working overtime to produce more slips for liquor permits than usual.
And it’s all happening because of the horrific Porsche accident on 19 May, which has put the spotlight on drink-driving and illegal liquor consumption by minors in Pune. The excise department has swung into overdrive; partygoers worry if the host has a permit and enough liquor to serve; bar hoppers worry if watering holes will shut down before they arrive; and Pune’s chill vibe is suddenly turning anxious.
Since the accident, the excise department and police have filed cases against 145 establishments across the city for violating liquor laws, confirmed Sujit Patil, deputy superintendent of the state excise department. Around 62 hotels have been shuttered, and their liquor licences suspended for selling liquor to minors, serving alcohol on rooftops, and staying open beyond stipulated hours. The Pune Municipal Corporation has been serving notices to and demolishing ‘illegal’ constructions at hotels and bars, including rooftop areas and outdoor spaces by the road.
If the police had done their job the night of the accident, none of this would have happened. They might as well make Maharashtra a dry state rather than making everyone jump through these hoops.
— an employee at a bar in Koregaon Park
While law enforcement is experiencing heightened activity, the city’s residents are going through a slowdown. They feel cheated out of their fun as Pune, where the legal drinking age is 25, has undergone a drastic crackdown in the past three weeks since the accident. Bars are shutting earlier, and drinkers are more cautious.
“Instead of one person being held accountable, the whole city is being punished. Why punish those who are older than 25? Instead, they should implement laws,” said a 44-year-old hairdresser who requested anonymity. “Whether you’re a crorepati or a roadpati, everyone is affected.”
An employee at an upscale bar in Pune’s Koregaon Park says things have never been this stringent in his fifteen years of experience.
“If the police had done their job the night of the accident, none of this would have happened,” he said. “They might as well make Maharashtra a dry state rather than making everyone jump through these hoops.”
Instead of one person being held accountable, the whole city is being punished. Why punish those who are older than 25? Whether you’re a crorepati or a roadpati, everyone is affected
— said a hairdresser in Pune, requesting anonymity
Heightened vigilance
Sit down at a bar in Pune today, and you’ll likely be handed a slip certifying that the bar has authorised you to consume liquor legally that day. This wasn’t the case a month ago, before the Porsche accident highlighted the lax enforcement of this law.
“Even though I knew I had to, I have been putting off applying for the permit to consume alcohol,” said local journalist Umakant Salve, who had come to the excise department to apply for an annual permit costing Rs 100 — a lifetime permit, which most residents carry, costs Rs 1,000. “The accident has reminded people that they need to follow the law.”
Maharashtra is technically a prohibition state like Gujarat, governed by the Bombay Prohibition Act of 1949. The sale and consumption of alcohol are allowed through licences — residents are expected to have liquor permits to consume alcohol, and this consumption is highly regulated with constant updates.
Maharashtra gives licences for liquor consumption. Our activity has definitely increased in the last few weeks — it was very high during the elections, as we expected, but the accident has created more public awareness about our laws.
— Sujit Patil, deputy superintendent, Pune state excise department
For example, one person can’t carry more than four bottles of liquor at a time. If buying alcohol for a house party, one person can’t procure more than that — a group must go, or one person must make repeated trips. House parties also require a day permit from the excise department, which usually sends an observer to ensure laws are followed. The total amount of liquor procured for the party must be registered, and any leftover liquor the next morning should be returned to the wholesaler it was bought from.
“Maharashtra gives licences for liquor consumption,” said Patil. “Our activity has definitely increased in the last few weeks — it was very high during the elections, as we expected, but the accident has created more public awareness about our laws.”
Officials say the department has been trying to encourage awareness across the city, focusing on places that sell alcohol.
It’s mostly bars and hotels in upmarket places like Koregaon Park and Kalyani Nagar that are being scrutinised. But it hasn’t stopped accidents
— Akshay Rao, an IT professional
A ‘vibe change’
The Porsche accident happened the first weekend after Pune voted in the Lok Sabha elections — what was supposed to signal relaxation after a tense period instead turned into a longer moratorium on partying in the city.
Driver Umesh Khare says that police have been checking vehicles on the road more over the last few weeks, increasing traffic congestion. The heightened vigilance, coupled with the demolition of illegal constructions around bars and hotels and the monsoon rain, has led to increased traffic jams, according to residents.
“I can’t even make a day plan because I’ll just get stuck — either in traffic or the place I’m hoping to visit is suddenly closed,” said a 28-year-old marketing professional who requested anonymity. “Pune is a melting pot with lots of young college students and professionals, and I think we are bearing the brunt of a teenager’s decision to drive drunk, which led to the terrible accident.”
Residents also point out that the 17-year-old’s wealth has influenced which parts of the city are affected.
“It’s mostly bars and hotels in upmarket places like Koregaon Park and Kalyani Nagar that are being scrutinised,” said Akshay Rao, an IT professional. “But it hasn’t changed the fact that accidents are still happening,” he said, referring to a 23 May accident where a pedestrian woman was hit by a speeding car and flung into the air in Hinjewadi.
An employee at a bar in Kalyani Nagar mentioned that the closure and censure of so many establishments have also affected vendors like paan shops and auto drivers.
“The vibe of the city has completely changed. We’re frustrated citizens. Everything has changed,” said the hairdresser.
(Edited by Prashant)