Now you can carry up to 2 sealed liquor bottles in the Delhi metro!

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has made a decision after a committee comprising CISF and Metro officials reviewed the list of prohibited items on the metro and has allowed people to carry up to 2 bottles of liquor, sealed, on the Delhi metro.

In a statement from the principal executive director of DMRC’s corporate communications, Anuj Dayal said, “As per an earlier order, carrying of alcohol was banned in the Delhi Metro except on the Airport Express Line. However subsequently, a committee comprising officials from CISF and DMRC have reviewed the list and as per the revised list, two sealed bottles of alcohol per person is allowed to be carried on the Delhi Metro at par with the provisions on the Airport Express Line.” But drinking on the metro premises still remains an offence.

The DMRC further said, “In case any passenger is found behaving in an indecent manner under the influence of alcohol, suitable action shall be taken under the relevant provisions of law.”

Before the new provision, you could only carry liquor on the Airport Express Line (New Delhi Metro Station to Dwarka Sector 21). This line is connected to Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 3 thereby allowing passengers to carry up to two sealed bottles of liquor. But now passengers on all metro from all Delhi-NCR cities can carry up to two sealed bottles of liquor.

Alcohol has been a part of DMRC’s list of prohibited items under ‘Flammable items’. It continues to be on the list however it now says “Sealed bottles maximum 02 per person (on par with DAMEL)”. DAMEL refers to Delhi Airport Metro Express Line.

The DMRC has given no reason for this new provision however it could be linked to the old liquor policy the Delhi government reverted to last August which caused a massive shortage of popular liquor brands in the city. Following this, liquor sales growth turned -14% between January-March 2023 after growing 19% in the previous quarter.