Excise dept to open 40 new liquor shops next fiscal

The excise department will open more liquor shops in the next financial year.

The excise department will open more liquor shops in the next financial year.

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Delhi Cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal where the department sought permission for more outlets to keep pace with the steady rise of population in the Capital.

According to senior excise officials, the department could not increase the number of its shops selling country-made, Indian-made foreign liquor and foreign liquor earlier due to a cap imposed on it.

With the cabinet removing the cap, officials said they can soon open more outlets, especially in areas where the number of liquor shops is less.

There are 548 — both government and private-run — liquor shops in Delhi. Officials said 40 new shops might open in the next financial year.

"There are several assembly segments in outer Delhi along the Haryana border which have just one or two liquor shops. Instead of travelling long distances, residents either buy alcohol at a premium from black market or make do with spurious liquor," said a senior excise department official.

The excise department will also write to the DDA to provide it space on commercial streets for liquor shops. The excise department official added that the department was getting regular requests from the MLAs in affected assembly segments to open more shops in those areas.

Excise department is the third biggest revenue generator for the Delhi government. In the current financial year, Delhi government has set a target of collecting Rs 2,300 crore as tax from the sale of liquor.