Buying Liquor To Become Difficult In Delhi? Private Shops To Remain Closed Till Nov 17, Know Why

According to the Delhi government's order, private liquor shops will remain closed between October 1 and November 16 to ensure the smooth implementation of the new excise system.

New Delhi: People consuming alcohol and beer in the national capital may have to face difficulties from Friday as Private liquor shops will be closed from October 1 under the Kejriwal government's new excise policy. Liquor sales in Delhi will resume from November 17.

As per the Delhi government's order, private liquor shops will remain closed between October 1 and November 16 to ensure the smooth implementation of the new excise system.

After this decision by the Delhi government, private liquor shops are no longer seeking new stocks of liquor. The remaining stock in these stores is expectedly selling out quickly.

New Excise Policy

The Delhi government in July announced the new excise policy for 2021-22. 

Under the new excise policy, all the old liquor shops are being closed and shops are to be opened equally in all parts of the national capital as per the new system.

The Delhi government had begun the process of bidding for new shops. On September 15, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had a press conference in this regard where he said that "After the implementation of the new excise policy, the experience of liquor selling will change. The Delhi government had a revenue collection of about Rs 6400 crores through excise during 2019-20. After the introduction of the new excise policy, it is estimated to increase about Rs 3,500 crores, now the Delhi government hopes that through the new excise policy, annual revenue of about Rs 10,000 crores will be available", news ANI reported.

While remaining stocks are getting exhausted quickly, a problem for a lot of shopkeepers is that these shops are going to be closed down forever, the agency stated.

Shopkeepers Share Plight

DLF Galleria Mall located in Mayur Vihar Phase-I, Delhi, has 13 private liquor shops with L-10 licenses. But their license could not be renewed. ''We are normal shop owners, we don't have enough money to renew licences by paying Rs 250 crores," Karun Saxena, who looks after the accounts in one of these shops, told news agency ANI.

He added, "If the government felt that the shops were running in a chaotic manner, they could have had taken a lot of steps for that. They could have raided, could have taken action. Now the government is saying that we are creating an atmosphere of competition. But actually, this is not happening. Now shops will go to only a few people. No common shopkeeper will be able to give two hundred and fifty crore rupees for a shop. It will only encourage cartelisation instead of tackling it".

Sonu Bansal, manager of another shop shared similar sentiments saying, "There are 147 individual private liquor shops in Delhi. The government has taken a decision to put an end to all of them. None of the 13 liquor shops in this mall has applied for a license for a new shop. Now we are forced to close down shops. Shelves are empty, there are only 4-5 helpers left instead of the usual 20-22 helpers".

He added that there was no means of earning left for the people working in private liquor shops and he will have to go to his village.

Bansal also alleged that the Delhi government was giving licenses to big traders from outside.

Pramod Kumar, a salesman from another shop, said: "This is really wrong. Now customers are also returning back. Delhi government's new excise policy made us unemployed", ANI reported.

(With Agency Inputs)