Party without booze? No way…Punjabi families having marriage functions in a day or two are looking for alternatives to avoid any spoil-sport to their celebration 'spirit' in wake of Supreme Court's (SC) liquor ban orders.

They have come down to organise pre-marriage parties with booze at their houses and farmhouses. Majority of bachelor parties and 'Sangeet' before marriage has shifted to the interior points instead of already booked marriage palaces.

"My marriage is scheduled on Saturday. Most of my friends are from abroad and we had planned a bachelor party at a restaurant situated on the highway. Now, the owners at the restaurants have denied to serve liquor due to the prevailing confusion. SC's order has become a spoil sport for us. Now, I and my friends are planning to organise party at one of my friends house," said a Ludhiana based businessman, wished not to be named.

On the other hand, even as the Punjab government has denotified 12 highway stretches to bypass SC's order banning sale or serving of liquor within 500 metres of national and state highways, the marriage palace owners still in a lurch as they are not getting the permits to serve liquor during marriage functions.

According to them, the marriage functions will pick up the pace in a day or two in the entire state.

"We are not getting the permits for liquor serving from the concerned department. Even, confusion over de-notified roads have not been cleared yet. It is going to take more time. Till then we are helpless to serve liquor to our guests. We are bound to follow SC's ruling till we do not get any clarity or go ahead," president of Punjab Marriage Palace Owners' Association in Ludhiana, Sukhdev Singh Sidhu, told The Statesman.

In an attempt to term as a relief to the marriage owners, the Punjab government has de-notified the state highways of Hoshiarpur-Chandigarh, Balachaur-Garshankar, Moga-Kotkapura, Moga-Harike, Gagan Chowk to Liberty Chowk, JCS Saviour School to Bhaironpur Sirhind Chunni Road, Malikpur Chowk to Dalhousie by-pass.

Meanwhile, when contacted, Punjab Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Vivek Pratap Singh, said "We are in the process to resolve the issues being faced by the marriage palace owners in order to get the permits. Since the verdict is given by SC, it is a matter of concern for us to check the guidelines thoroughly. Those marriage palaces are not falling under highways are getting the permits".