No new country liquor policy for Delhi

“No new policy on country liquor will be issued because it was realised that this particular market is relatively small and is already streamlined. So, we are not going to tamper with what is going well already,” said as senior official of Delhi’s excise department, requesting anonymity.

The Delhi government has decided to continue with the existing number of shops selling country liquor in the national capital and has shelved plans to formulate a new policy to govern its sale, senior officials privy to the development said on Tuesday.

At present, Delhi has 87 vends selling country liquor. (HT)

In the revised excise policy for the year 2021-22, which came into effect last November, the government had mentioned at the end that it will release a separate policy for country liquor soon. But now, it has decided to continue with the ongoing system, but with minor tweaks.

“No new policy on country liquor will be issued because it was realised that this particular market is relatively small and is already streamlined. So, we are not going to tamper with what is going well already,” said as senior official of Delhi’s excise department, requesting anonymity.

In November last year, the Delhi government for the first time exited from the retail sale of liquor. The only retail sale it did not exit from was that of country liquor.

At present, Delhi has 87 vends selling country liquor. These are owned by various Delhi government agencies including Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi State Civil Supply Corporation (DSCSC) and Delhi Consumers Co- operative Wholesale Store Ltd (DCCWS).

On April 22, the excise department floated a tender seeking bids for wholesale supply of country liquor to these vends in Delhi. However, a month later, on May 24, it cancelled the tender due to irregularities in some bids. On May 25, the department issued fresh tenders for wholesale supply of country liquor to the vends.

In a change from previous years, this time, the government has sought bids for wholesale procurement of country liquor in bottles of 750ml, 375ml and 180ml in the ratio of 3:4:3 for the year 2023-23. This means that 750ml bottles will make up 30% of the total supply (by volume), while 375ml bottles will make up 40% and 180ml bottles the remaining 30% of the total supply. Until the last financial year (2021-22), the ratio was 4:4:2.

The total quantity of country liquor to be supplied in the current fiscal is expected to be 300 lakh litres, excise officials said.

The licence through the current tender will be given for a period of 10 months from, from June 1 to March 31, 2023 but officials said this licensing period may be extended by three more months -- till June 30, 2023 -- in extraordinary circumstances. The licensee(s) however will have to pay a pro-rata licence fee with respect to such extended period, if any, said officials.