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Liquor stores, bars closed as move to extend Delhi excise policy awaits approval
Shops across Delhi on Sunday reported panic buying as buyers joined serpentine queues at liquor shops on Sunday as uncertainty prevailed over whether private shops will stay open from Monday
Liquor stores and bars were closed in Delhi as lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena was yet to approve the Delhi government’s move to extend the Excise Policy (2021-22) from August 1 to 31. The term of the policy expired on July 31 and unless the extension is approved, selling liquor will be considered illegal.
Shops across Delhi on Sunday reported panic buying as buyers joined serpentine queues on Sunday as uncertainty prevailed over whether private stores will stay open from Monday. The Delhi government late on Sunday decided to extend licences of private liquor vends under the new excise policy by a month. The move was aimed at ending chaos at shops during the transition process with the latest policy being rolled back.
Saxena was expected to consider the policy for approval at a meeting on Monday before Delhi switches back to the old excise regime under which the government will open liquor vends again. The government quit the liquor business after the new excise policy came into effect in November 2021.
A liquor trader, who runs multiple liquor stores, said they are closed due to the non-extension of the policy. “The stores will be opened soon after the government issues the policy extension order,” said the trader, who did not want to be named.
The manager of a Connaught Place bar said that he received an email from the excise department saying the status of their license has changed to expired from Sunday. The email asked him to contact the department for further information.
Another trader, who also runs multiple liquor stores, said uncertainty surrounds the livelihoods of hundreds of people in the absence of approval for the extension. “Around 600 people work in my stores. Many of them left their previous jobs to join the stores for a bright future. What is their fault? What is the fault of the traders who invested crores of rupees into this business? We did not invest the money for a short period. The government should give us clarity,” said the trader, who did not want to be identified.
He added they have stocks for sale and will also place orders for fresh stock as per the demand assessment once the extension is approved.
The Delhi government decided to re-implement the old excise policy after Saxena recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation into alleged irregularities and procedural lapses in the implementation of the 2021-22 policy.
The Delhi Cabinet late on Sunday approved the extension and sent the proposal for Saxena’s approval. The Cabinet said the tenure of existing licenses was expiring on July 31 and added to maintain the confidence of people in the administration, the Delhi government extended the existing licenses for a month. “Seized of the fact that the Excise Policy 2021-22 is not able to achieve the desired objectives of fetching greater revenues as envisaged and projected, and owing to the fact that the said policy has been flagged with many a issues that are under detailed examination/investigation by agencies, the Government of National Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) has decided to revert to the old policy (prevalent till 16th November 2021) for a period of six months with effect from 01st September, 2022.”
