The Haryana authorities’s excise division has issued a show-cause discover to the Defence Companies Officers’ Institute (DSOI) in Palam Vihar searching for a proof inside three days for the alleged unauthorised serving of liquor with no legitimate licence, officers mentioned on Thursday.
Following the discover, the membership has suspended liquor service with fast impact and knowledgeable its members that solely non-alcoholic drinks might be served till the matter is resolved, the individuals cited above mentioned.
Officers mentioned the discover underneath the Haryana Excise Act was issued after it got here to the division’s consideration after an PR report that liquor was being served on the bar at DSOI with out the necessary L-12C licence.
“Now we have served a discover to the membership secretary and requested for a reply inside three days explaining why liquor was served with out authorisation,” mentioned Ashok Panchal, deputy excise and taxation commissioner (DETC), West. “DSOI should apply for an L-12C licence as per the excise coverage. Additional motion might be determined after inspecting their response.”
Beneath the present excise coverage (2025–27), the L-12C licence applies to districts with metropolitan growth authorities. Officers mentioned the licence price for such golf equipment in Gurugram is ₹42 lakh for the coverage interval.
In circumstances the place an L-12C licence is granted to an army-sponsored membership defence members could utilise liquor procured by means of their Canteen Shops Division (CSD) quota, whereas civilian members should not entitled to CSD-supplied liquor. For such army-sponsored golf equipment, the licence price is ₹10 lakh for the coverage interval, officers added. Different relevant taxes can be levied individually.
A senior excise official, asking to not be recognized, mentioned that the difficulty pertains to compliance with the excise coverage, regardless of the establishment’s character.
“That is about entry into the licensing framework. As soon as licensed, different taxes and circumstances apply. Any dispensation, if accessible, is ruled strictly by coverage,” the official mentioned, including that non-compliance may have wider implications given the presence of comparable establishments throughout the nation.
A membership official, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media, mentioned DSOI Palam Vihar was established in 2007 as a repository of the Defence Companies Officers Welfare Fund (DSOWF) to serve the welfare wants of serving and retired tri-services officers and their households in Gurugram. “The institute was constructed utilizing DSOWF funds on land leased by HUDA (now HSVP) and has lengthy functioned as a welfare-oriented, non-commercial house for defence households,” he mentioned, including that related defence institutes function pan-India with sure dispensations as a mark of gratitude for service personnel.
Nonetheless, excise officers maintained that welfare standing doesn’t exempt an institution from licensing necessities if liquor is served. The division mentioned it should determine the following plan of action after the membership submits its reply throughout the stipulated time.
The complainant, Supreme Court docket advocate Rajeev Yadav, mentioned that liquor can be low cost now in DSOI as a result of revenue gained’t be charged, they cost 10% revenue on it. “Whereas personal golf equipment, lodges and bars are compelled to pay hefty excise licence charges and VAT, Defence Golf equipment and Messes have been allegedly working unauthorised bars by procuring liquor in bulk from the Canteen Shops Division (CSD)—with none licence or tax compliance,” he mentioned.
