The Election Commission has decided to impose a 60-hour ban on the sale of liquor ahead of the polling day, i.e., June 1. Moreover, for the first time, a dry day has been declared on June 4, the day of counting of votes. The Excise Department has also cancelled all permits for serving and carrying liquor ahead of the polling day. As per official orders, the Excise Department has stopped issuing any permits for May 30 evening until 7 pm on June 1, and the ones issued earlier have been cancelled. “The commission is getting stricter when it comes to liquor. Earlier, the dry day would start 24 hours prior to polls. Now, it is extended to 60 hours. Also, the entire day on June 4 (counting of votes) is a dry day, which has never happened earlier. Earlier, once the counting was over, liquor was allowed to be served,” said a senior excise officer said. The decision has hit wedding and party plans in the state. Serving liquor at private functions, including weddings, is a common practice among the majority of people in Punjab. Jaideep Narula, a wedding planner from Patiala, said: “I have already shifted two functions of my clients in Ludhiana to uphills to ensure that there is no dearth of liquor for his NRI guests.”