Draft of new excise policy to be ready by June 30, says Delhi CM

The upcoming policy would focus on ‘transparency, quality, and accountability’ in the excise system, chief minister Rekha Gupta said A high-level panel led by chief secretary Dharmendra is working on the new framework after reviewing practices from other states

Delhi’s draft excise policy, aimed at finally revamping how liquor is sold and regulated in the Capital, will be ready by June 30 — the day the current policy is set to expire — chief minister Rekha Gupta said on Friday.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta. (ANI)

A high-level committee, led by chief secretary Dharmendra, is working on the new framework after reviewing practices from other states and consulting key stakeholders.

The upcoming policy, Gupta said, would focus on “transparency, quality, and accountability” in the excise system, while safeguarding public health and ensuring ease of doing business.

“The high-level committee is in the process of drafting a new excise policy proposal after consulting with relevant stakeholders and studying the best practices adopted in other states. This task will be completed by June 30. The objective is to provide citizens with quality liquor and to make the system of alcohol sale and distribution transparent, modern, and accountable,” CM Gupta said in a statement.

Key features under review include scientific liquor testing, digitisation of sales, and streamlined licensing protocols. “Under the new policy, several measures are being included to improve the excise system key among these are scientific testing of liquor quality, digitization of the sales system, prevention of illegal sales, and ensuring transparency in the licensing process,” Gupta said.

The government had extended the current stopgap policy until June 30, 2025, to ensure continuity in liquor supply while the new version was being drafted.

Delhi’s existing excise framework is largely based on a 2010 policy. In 2021, the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government introduced a major overhaul — privatising liquor retail and introducing discounts — but the policy was scrapped after allegations of corruption. The Central Bureau of Investigation later launched a probe, leading to the arrest of several AAP leaders including former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

“The previous policy was corrupt, biased and against public interest,” Gupta said, adding it benefited select private players at the cost of state revenue and public welfare.

She added that the new policy will learn from “past mistakes” to bring a framework that will “no room for corruption at any level”. Public awareness campaigns will be conducted to prevent alcohol abuse, and monitoring of alcohol consumption in public places will be strictly enforced, she added.

Since the 2022 rollback, Delhi has relied on government-run liquor shops under a temporary arrangement. Efforts to draft a fresh policy remained stalled for nearly three years, until the formation of the new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in March.

Officials said Delhi is unlikely to lower its legal drinking age of 25, despite lower age limits in neighbouring states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The new policy, they said, will prioritise social safeguards to prevent adverse impact on vulnerable sections.

HT on April 19 reported that drafting committee — headed by the chief secretary and including top officials like the excise commissioner — is also going to cherry-pick the best practices from Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to improve revenue collection and public safety.

Vinod Giri, director general of the Brewers Association of India, welcomed the move. “Delhi’s policy is outdated. Retail shops are too few, quality is poor, and a 25-year drinking age is archaic. A modern capital deserves a modern policy,” he said.

Officials said a series of meetings are lined up next week to finalise the policy details. Once announced, it is expected to boost supplier confidence and improve availability of quality brands in the Capital.