Delhi: Liquor licensees may not have to set up two vends per zone

A cabinet note recently prepared by the finance department states that there are around 100 wards in Delhi that are either non-conforming or in which liquor vends cannot be opened

The Delhi government is likely to do away with the mandatory requirement to have two liquor vends in each municipal ward of Delhi, a move that was originally designed to ensure equitable access to liquor in all areas of the national capital. In the revised Delhi Excise Policy 2022-23, which is likely to be rolled out later this month, the mandatory requirement may be dropped, Delhi government officials in the know of the matter have said.

Each liquor zone is allowed a maximum of 27 retail vends and, on average, that works out to about three retail vends per ward. (HT Archive)

A cabinet note recently prepared by the finance department states that there are around 100 wards in Delhi that are either non-conforming or in which liquor vends cannot be opened due to restrictions imposed by the Excise Policy and Rules which lay down that “no retail vend can be opened within 100 metres of educational institutions, religious places, and hospitals”.

“In such a situation, keeping it mandatory to open two vends in each of the wards (Delhi has 272 municipal wards) is not practical and it has been recommended that the practice should be discontinued,” said an official, asking not to be named.

The cabinet note, which has been approved by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia as the minister in-charge, said,“considering the constraints in opening of vends in non-conforming wards, the GoM (group of ministers) has recommended that the requirement of opening of mandatory two vends per ward may be discontinued and the licensee shall be allowed to open up to 27 retail vends in any of the conforming wards under the allotted zone jurisdiction.”

The 272 wards in the national capital are divided into 32 liquor zones, with each having about nine to 10 wards.Each zone is allowed a maximum of 27 retail vends and, on average, that works out to about three retail vends per ward. However, each zone operator is currently supposed to operate two ”mandatory vends” in each ward in a particular zone and the remaining vends are ”freehold vends” that can be operated anywhere within that zone.

Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, which okayed the opening of liquor vends in non-conforming areas, had triggered a backlash from the opposition parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, with their leaders resorting to protests in different parts of the city against the move.

Some of the liquor vends could not be opened in non-conforming areas due to the protests, despite their owners finalising all formalities, .

Leader of the opposition in the Delhi assembly and BJP MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the government should roll back the entire policy and not just the “two mandatory vends in each ward” rule.

“Liquor outlets have been opened near religious places, schools and hospitals due to which there is anger among the people as they are facing trouble. The order of the Delhi government to open liquor shops in non-conforming areas was completely against the rules,” said Bidhuri.

Delhi Congress vice-president Abhishek Dutt said he had stopped the opening of a couple of liquor stores in the vicinity of religious places and non-conforming areas because they would have caused trouble to the people.“All those liquor stores that have opened within 100 metres of religious places, educational institutions and hospitals should be closed,” said Dutt.