Liquor shops reopen in Delhi, 6 more zonal licenses surrendered

New Delhi: Liquor availability in Delhi is not likely to become normal soon with six more zonal licenses being surrendered even as private shops reopened here on Tuesday after Lt Governor V K Saxena approved the AAP government's move to extend excise licences of private vends as well as hotels and bars by a month.

Officials said six zonal licensees have opted out of the extension and surrendered their licences, as a result of which, a total of 126 liquor vends will be closed now. This will further bring down the number of 468 liquor vends that were operational before July 31 in Delhi to 343. The private liquor vends in Delhi numbering 468 kept shutters down on Monday after their licenses expired on July 31. The vends opened again after the Excise department issued orders late on Monday night, giving a one-month extension of retail and wholesale licenses.

Thin crowd was seen outside some of these vends which opened in the early hours in different parts of the capital on Tuesday. "Usually, business is slow in the morning hours. Also, it is Tuesday as well as the month of 'Sawan' during which many people avoid consuming alcohol," said a liquor store vendor in Laxmi Nagar. The Excise department issued orders for extension of retail and wholesale licences up to August 31, on payment of applicable fee. The six surrendered zonal licenses meant there will be no liquor vends in areas like Anand Vihar, Shakarpur, Jhilmil, Paharganj, Rohini E, Chandni Chowk, Sarita Vihar, Najafgarh, Greater Kaliash, Daryaganj among others.

Meanwhile, with the Delhi govt deciding to revert back to the old excise policy regime, its excise department has also decided to issue wholesale Indian and foreign liquor vend licences from September 1.