Liquor shortage in Delhi likely from today

New Delhi: Uncertainty prevailed over availability of liquor in the national Capital as the private liquor stores in Delhi were scheduled to shut shop from Monday after expiry of their licences.

Sources, however, claimed that Delhi government was likely to come out with a notification by late Sunday night, allowing liquor stores currently running in the city to remain open till August end.

"This was needed as the government has decided to revert to old excise policy regime and run stores through its agencies, a process that could create shortage and chaos as the new shops will take days to open," said a government source.

The government on Saturday announced reverting back to old excise regime and run stores itself for six months. Under the Excise Policy 2021-22, 468 retail liquor stores were running in the city whose licences will expire after July 31.

Many liquor vends in the city, however, were closed after selling out stocks through rebates and special schemes like buy one get two free.

"There is some more liquor and beer available and people are coming to get whatever they can. Those asking for specific brands have returned back empty handed also," said a liquor store manager in Laxmi Nagar.

The rush was more on Saturday but with liquor stores running out of stock, customers have now started looking to neighbouring Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad for their quota, said a customer Vivek outside a closed liquor vend in Delhi's Shekh Sarai.

A banker from Mayur Vihar Extension said he used to get his favourite brands available locally but now the stocks were run out.

"The shops in the nearby mall have run out of stock and left with almost nothing. Now, I will ask friends in Noida, Gurgaon to keep me stocked up till shops here run normally again," he said.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government Corporations that were earlier in retail business of liquor before new Excise Policy 2021-22 was implemented in November 2021, have started activating their system to open liquor stores. The four corporations-DSIIDC, DTTDC, DCCWS and DSCSC- ran 475 liquor stores out of total 864 in Delhi under the old excise policy regime. The private stores licences held by individuals, numbered 389.

A DSIIDC official informed that around 90 shops of liquor were run by the Corporation on rent.

Several of those rented premises are still vacant where the liquor stores can be opened. But the whole process from getting requisite licences and placing order for stocks will take 4-5 days," he said.