After sticking to the Punjab Excise Act for over nine decades, Delhi will soon have its own excise legislation with stringent punishment to check liquor smuggling.

A decision in this regard will be taken by Delhi Cabinet when it meets on Monday.

Talking about the new proposed policy, Finance Minister A K Walia said, "it's high time that we have our own Excise law. Till now we have been borrowing the law from Punjab."

He said the Excise department has forwarded the draft Delhi Excise Bill 2008 to the Cabinet which will discuss the details threadbare and then take the decision.

"In the new excise regime, we are focusing on improving enforcement and harsh punishment for bootleggers."

On lowering of permissible age to 21 and allowing the women bartender, Walia said the decision will be entirely upon the cabinet. Sources said it may not be an easy task in view of forthcoming polls in the state.