CHANDIGARH: 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 said.
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.