Bengaluru: Planning to host a wedding reception, birthday bash or a large private gathering in Karnataka, where you intend to serve more than nine litres of alcohol to your guests? Then be ready to pay significantly more, as the state govt has nearly doubled the fee for occasional liquor permits issued under the temporary CL-5 licensing category. According to the revised rates notified by the finance department Tuesday, organisers of non-commercial events must now pay Rs 20,000 per day, up from Rs 11,500, and the permit must be obtained at least seven days in advance. Those seeking permission within 24 hours will now have to shell out Rs 40,000 per day under the tatkal scheme. “No licence is required to serve liquor at private gatherings limited to nine litres of IMFL (Indian-made foreign liquor) and 18 litres of beer or wine,” an excise department official clarified.Organisers of commercial events – including cultural programmes, concerts, exhibitions, fairs, corporate events, and New Year celebrations – must now pay Rs 75,000 per day for a regular permit and Rs 1.5 lakh for tatkal approvals. The revised fee structure is part of the govt’s broader push to increase revenue collection. “The classification of commercial and non-commercial has been introduced for the first time. Non-commercial events held in public places will also require CL-5 licensing,” said excise commissioner Venkatesh Kumar.Rules define a non-commercial event as any private or social function organised without any element of profit or revenue, which is not conducted for business promotion or monetary gain. It is an event for which there is no entry fee and ‘there is no mechanism through which payment is tied to the provision or consumption of liquor’.Points for gfxPERMIT PINCH* Karnataka doubles CL-5 liquor permit fee for pvt events serving more than 9 ltrs of alcohol* Non-commercial event licence fee raised from Rs 11.5K to Rs 20K per day* Tatkal approval for non-commercial events will now cost Rs 40k* Commercial events must pay Rs 75,000 daily for licence fee* Tatkal fee for commercial events fixed at Rs 1.5L* Govt introduces separate commercial/non-commercial event categories
