Having had a tough time for the past month, tipplers may be able to get their choice of brands from Government liquor shops across Delhi from Thursday. Under the old excise policy, only Government-owned liquor shops will sell liquor in Delhi from Thursday.

The excise department has developed an App mobile app "mAbkaridelhi", which will become operational within a day or two, providing consumers information about the location of liquor stores in their neighborhood and shop timings.

The liquor vends that were operating on Wednesday were only selling the left-out stock of booze in order to clear the stock as the private liquor outlets will not be able to operate from September 1.

However, the booze lovers standing in large queues at these vends were seen buying liquor in huge quantities. The liquor vends in the capital will be open according to the old timings, starting from 10 AM till 10 PM. Ankush Khurana, a resident of West Delhi’s Patel Nagar, who was standing in a queue at Karol Bagh liquor vend said that he will buy beers in large stock. “I think, Delhiites will not see this kind of scheme again in the city. I think rates will be high in the next liquor policy. Why not stock beers now when it is available at cheap rates. I will buy at least 12 bottles of beer,” said Khurana.

AV Kumar, liquor vend owner in the Paharganj area said that they are clearing the stock and every bottle in the shop is being sold at a discounted price. “The shops will be closed from tomorrow. We hope that our stock ends today otherwise we will not be able to sell them from September 1,” said Kumar.

Another liquor vend owner in West Delhi’s Rajouri area, who did not wish to be named said, “we are selling liquor at loss, just to cover the maximum amount of our capital invested to open the shop.

The government has returned the old policy and now we won’t be able to open the shop from tomorrow.” “We have not purchased the liquor for the past one week, but still the stock is left in the shop,” he said.

In Paharganj, two liquor vends were open, but they merely had any stock left, they were selling the liquor bottles at buy one get one scheme just to clear the stock. Ajay Sharma, a tippler standing in the queue at Paharganj said, I am not able to get my favorite brand for the past couple of days as every liquor vend I visit says that they are not that there is no supply due to the uncertainty that the what will happen after September 1.

“We have to buy what is left in the shops; I am here to buy one carton of whiskey at the discounted price, which will last for 15 days till then there will be clarity on the opening of the new retail liquor shops,” he said.

Talking about the new excise policy and opening of new liquor vends from September 1, Vinod Giri, Director General, Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) said that many L1 licenses are in place, and around 240-260 outlets are likely to start from day one, which will go up to 500 within a month while stocks are already filling up in retail.

“However, consumers shall find some of popular products missing on shelves as they are yet to register, nor is there a clarity when will they register. This will impact hotels, pubs, bars, and restaurants where such products are popular.

Prices will also go back up as discounts are not permitted,” said Giri.

“The switchover of liquor sale to all Government retail outlets has led to some unforeseen and unwarranted outcomes. These are transition pains out of an extremely short changeover period. We hope Government maintains intensity to resolve these without any delay,” Giri added.