Joint Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Kaul has issued instructions to the Commercial Taxes Department to declare voting and counting day of Lok Sabha Election-2019 as Dry Day. 

Kaul has said that under the relevant legal provisions of the state the 48 hour-period ending with the due time of polling described in the Election Commission’s notification should be declared Dry Day. Similarly, counting day should also be declared as Dry Day. The instructions clearly states that during the 48-hour period ending with the due time of voting in the polling area, no spirited, fermented or intoxicant liquor or any other similar substance will be served, sold or distributed in any hotel, pubs, bar or any other public or private place.

On the violation of the directive, the concerned person will be punished with imprisonment up to 6 months or fine of up to Rs 2,000 or both. As per order of Dry Day no person will be allowed to sell/ serve liquor on the particular date. Non-proprietary licency clubs, hotels, restaurants, etc of different categories also will not be permitted to sell/ serve liquor during this period. The

Commission has instructed to cut the storage of liquor by people during this period.

The Commission has instructed to strictly enforce the prohibition of storage of liquor in licensed premises as mentioned in the Excise Law. Voting in the state will take place in four phases. In each phase, the restrictions of

Dry Day will apply up to 3 km distance for the concerned parliamentary constituency’s bordering district/assembly constituency / related border area.

The Commission has directed that action should be taken in the border districts/ assembly constituencies and their adjoining areas to ban the sale of alcohol. In addition, action should be taken to prohibit the sale of liquor in bordering districts of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra by coordinating with the officers concerned.