Delhi Excise Policy: There is good news for alcohol lovers. The old excise policy is going to be implemented again in the national capital Delhi. From next month, more government liquor shops are going to open in Delhi. The special thing is that while opening them, care has been taken that there should not be many shops in certain areas only but they are spread across the city.

Excise department sources told our associate newspaper Times of India that from September 1, there will be more liquor shops in Delhi. Issued more than 300 licenses to 4 corporations of Delhi- Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi Stage Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC) and Delhi Consumers Cooperative Wholesale Stores (DCCWS) have gone. More permits are likely to be issued in the next few days.

A senior official said, “The corporation wants to open liquor shops in more places. They are negotiating with property owners who have so far rented out their commercial spaces to private liquor vendors under the new excise regime. We are hopeful that they will apply for more licenses and the size of the shops will also be bigger.”

At present, less than 250 liquor shops are operating in Delhi and liquor enthusiasts are feeling disheartened in most parts of the city. The new excise policy was implemented in Delhi from November 2021. Private liquor shops were allowed by closing government shops. However, after a dispute over this, the old excise policy is going to be implemented from 1 September 2022. BJP and Congress had alleged corruption in the new excise policy. In this connection, the CBI team reached Delhi’s Deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s house on Friday.

From September 1, the old excise policy will be implemented in Delhi and only government shops will be allowed. Initially, the excise department will issue 500 licenses and by December 31, this figure will increase to 700. Separate permits will be issued for opening of liquor shops in New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment area as well as Indira Gandhi International Airport area.

Sources confirmed to our cooperation Times of India that there are 67 corporation wards where no liquor shop can be opened as per the rules. Therefore, there will be no shops in these wards.

“But we are trying to make liquor shops easily available in the adjoining areas,” an official said.

“We have registered more than 125 liquor brands. The process of registering more brands and fixing the maximum retail price (MRP) for them is underway. Interestingly, in 2016-17, more than 2,500 brands of foreign and Indian-made liquor were registered. Under the new excise policy, this number has come down to just around 500.”

The excise department has registered wholesalers to supply liquor to retailers. Under the new excise policy that came into effect from November 2021, only 18 wholesalers were licensed and later this figure came down to 13. Now more than 40 applications have been received for the wholesale license for the old excise regime.