Delhi's private liquor shops to shut from Thursday; Centre's old excise regime to return

Delhi is all set switch to its old excise policy from September 1, 2022 after the state government faced corruption allegations. Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the irregularities.

Under the old regime, liquor has to be sold from government shops, which will be under the supervision of the excise department.

This clearly implies that all the private liquor shops in the national capital will be closed from Thursday.

Around 500 government liquor shops are ready to cater to the demand, and the number will be increased to 700 in the coming days, sources told India Today.

Nearly 80 wholesalers have already registered with the department and consumers will be able to choose from 500 distinct brands, they added.

Delhi's consumption is around 12 lakh bottles per day.

A mobile app has also been developed to provide information on dry days, liquor brands and their availability. The mAbkaridelhi mobile app will be available in Hindi and English and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and Apple Store from September.

It will provide a host of information: retail vends in a locality, their timings, availability of foreign liquor, and also enable searching for vends in alphabetical order. The app also has the option to submit feedback.

Ahead of the festive period, the government is focusing on the availability of liquor to cater to the growing demand.

(With inputs from Ram Kinkar)

 

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