Liquor crisis in the capital Wine shops to remain closed for 45 days in Delhi

Liquor shops in the capital Delhi will remain closed from October 1. Private liquor vendors will be included in these shops, which will be closed till November 16 as they have been affected by the new liquor policy.

New Delhi. The view of liquor shops located in the capital Delhi has changed nowadays. The store shelves are empty and there is very little merchandise. People in Delhi are struggling to get liquor of their choice due to the new liquor license policy that will come into effect from November 16. With the new liquor policy coming into effect from November 16, all private liquor shops in Delhi will remain closed from October 1 to November 16 – creating a liquor crisis in Delhi.

There are total 849 wine shops in Delhi

Under the new excise policy of the Delhi government, retail liquor sales licenses have already been allotted to the highest bidders in 32 zones, each having around 10 wards and 27 liquor vendors. At present there are 849 liquor shops in Delhi, out of which 276 are privately operated. While the rest of the shops are operated by Delhi government agencies.

Private contracts will remain closed, so only government-run liquor shops are going to be open from October 1 and private liquor shops are going to be closed till November 16. This is a bad news for 106 municipal wards of Delhi in which no liquor shop will open till November 16. There are about 80 wards in the city where there is no liquor contract.

Only private shops in these wards

There are currently only privately owned liquor shops in 26 wards which will be closed from October 1. The 26 municipal wards where there are only private liquor shops include RK Puram, Andrews Ganj, Lajpat Nagar, Patparganj, Rajouri Garden, Tughlakabad, Kotla Mubarakpur, Indrapuri, Rani Bagh, Rohtash Nagar, Jilmil and Pandav Nagar.

What is this new liquor policy

The Delhi government made public its new liquor policy in July this year, which pushes for equitable distribution of liquor shops in the city. This includes at least two air-conditioned shops in each municipal ward, five super-premium stores and 10 stores in the Indira Gandhi International Airport. It has been clarified in the policy that the government will get out of the business of selling liquor through its undertakings.

Why was the new liquor policy implemented

Under the new policy, the government invited bids for the establishment of retailers so that the formation of syndicates could be prevented and only one brand could not be sold. Unlike the old policy in which the licensee is not allowed to give any rebate, benefit on MRP (Maximum Retail Price), the new policy leaves it to the licensee to decide on these matters.

rules for shops

The policy states that every vendor will have to provide a walk-in experience and the shop will be designed accordingly. For example, customers will not be allowed to crowd outside a shop or on a sidewalk and shop over the counter. Each customer will be given entry inside the shop and the entire selection and sale process will be completed within the shop premises. The shop shall have closed glass doors and the air conditioner should be run inside it.

Tasting will not be available outside the contract

The licensee shall ensure that no dry snacks or ready-to-eat food outlets are opened immediately outside the shop which encourages people to drink liquor and move around the shop itself.

trying to stop smuggling

Under the new policy, to avoid large-scale smuggling of liquor originating from Haryana, UP, the price of the brand of liquor in Delhi is taken from the retail outlets of neighboring states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. And the price of the product will be decided keeping in mind.

Adequate Supply Instructions

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has asked wholesalers and government shops to maintain adequate supply of liquor in the national capital. This directive was passed to the vendors and traders keeping in mind the festive season, which is now near and the demand for liquor is set to increase during this time.