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Delhi government to open 500 liquor stores by September 1; 200 more by end of December: says report

With the roll back of the new excise policy and the return of the old liquor policy, the Delhi government is planning to open up 500 vends before September 1. The old liquor policy gives the power to operate liquor retail shops in the city entirely in hands of four major corporations eradicating the role of private players.

TN City Desk

Updated Aug 6, 2022, 15:04 IST

Delhi government to operate 500 liquor stores from September 1

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Photo : ANI

Delhi: With the old liquor policy coming back into effect, removing private players in the retail sale of alcohol in the city, the Delhi government is likely to set up and operate 500 liquor stores from September 1. The current excise policy will end on August 31.

A sub-committee of the Delhi government has presented a report stating that the four undertakings which are the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi Consumer's Cooperative Wholesale Stores (DCCWS) and Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC) , will set up these 500 vends by the end of this month.

The report also states that by December 31 this year, another 200 liquor shops will be opened.

Of these 700 stores, each of the four corporations will runoperations at five premium outlets to sell high-end brands and two of these five vends are likely to be opened by the end of August and the rest by December 31, according to PTI.

The Delhi government's sub-committee informed that DTTDC will run its liquor stores in zones 1-9, DSIIDC in 10-18, DCCWS in 19-24 and DSCSC in 25-30 and will handle the airport zone, while DSIIDC will manage areas under Delhi Cantonment and New Delhi Municipal Council.

The report given by sub-committee after the meeting stated that while DTTDC and DSIIDC will open 150 liquor vends each by the end of August, DCCWS and DSCSC will open 100 stores each in the same period. It further said that by December, DTTDC and DSIIDC will each open 60 new stores while the DCCWS and DSCSC will start 40 additional outlets each.

The committee, comprising of the labour commissioner and heads of the four corporations, was formed on August 3 to identify zones for the opening of liquor stores by each corporation, fixing the number of shops, determining the criteria for fixing rent, opening of vends in malls and government centres and the number of premium vends to be opened up.

According to the current excise policy that will end on August 31, the retail licenses were issued to private firms for 32 zones and 849 vends.

The government had quit the retail liquor business after imposing Excise Policy 2021-22 on November 17, but now after its roll-back , the government will get back to operating alcohol shops.

Under the old policy, the four corporations have complete authority on running 475 liquor vends.

Further, the report also suggested that the corporations will pay up to 15 per cent of the anticipated gross profit as rent and the amount may vary according to the location of retail vends.

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