Scan all alcohol containers before sale, or risk losing licence, govt warns vendors

New Delhi: Not all alcohol bottles and cans sold in Delhi are bar code scanned, as mandated by the government, a recent audit has revealed. Senior government officials

New Delhi: Not all alcohol bottles and cans sold in Delhi are bar code scanned, as mandated by the government, a recent audit has revealed. Senior government officials attributed anomalies in the supply chain management system to malfunctioning scanners, data entry errors and inadequate inspection of stock in wine and beer shops.

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When bottles and cans are sold after scanning, each such scan contributed to a supply chain management database that is maintained by the Delhi government. However, an audit by the government has exposed that the city is yet to achieve full compliance, a senior government official said Monday.

The Delhi government has now issued an order directing all alcohol vendors to ensure 100% compliance, failing which they stand to have their licences “suspended” or “cancelled”.

In 2013, the government had introduced the excess supply chain information management system (ESCIMS) to prevent illicit supply and sale of liquor and also to plug tax loopholes.

“The system requires that the vendor scan each and every alcohol bottle/can before sale. One of the foremost objective of the project was to enable the excise department to track the source of each bottle that is sold in Delhi,” a senior excise department official said.

A similar order on non-compliance was issued by the Delhi government in January 2018 and all liquor shops were given six months time to ensure 100% compliance, a senior government officials said. “But most shop owners had complained about poor internet connectivity, which often disrupts the process. In the year since, that issue, however, was resolved,” an officer said.

The order issued on Monday said 100% sale of liquor stock is to be done through scanning. In case of disfunctional supply chain information management modules, the data has to be fed into the system manually within 24 hours of sale. Excise officials shall ensure that every liquor vend in the city is inspected at least once a week.

“It is reiterated that no sale shall be made bypassing ESCIMS at any vend under any circumstance. Non-compliance of the above directions will be viewed seriously and strict action, including suspension and/or cancellation of the licence and/or blacklisting, shall be initiated against the defaulters as per the provisions of the Delhi Excise Act, 2009,” the order further said.