Liquor shops at Delhi airport's domestic terminals to open soon

The sale of liquor at domestic terminals of the Delhi airport is likely to resume soon, news agency PTI reported on Tuesday. The sale had been stopped on August 31 after the Delhi government returned to the old excise policy.

In November last year, the Delhi government of Arvind Kejriwal had introduced a new policy under which state-run shops were shut and licences were given to private players.

However, following corruption allegations and subsequent probe, the Kejriwal government withdrew the new policy and announced that the state-run outlets will be opened.

Now, the airport authorities have offered the shops to the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) to open liquor vends, the report said citing a senior officer of the government.

The official said that the government has been offered three-four shops to open vends at the domestic terminals of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. A couple of those shops are suitable for large-sized premium vends with a floor area of more than 1,000 square feet, he said.

Earlier, there were six private liquor stores at the domestic terminals of the airport. Under the new policy, ten liquor vends were to be opened at the airport terminals.

The DTTDC, which is engaged in the retail trade of liquor in the city, had tried to rent out the shops hired by private players to run the vends that were closed after August 31. However, it did not get any response. 

Under the old excise policy, the Delhi government's four undertakings - DTTDC, DSIIDC, DSCSC, and DCCWS - were given licences by the Excise Department.