Delhi is staring at a liquor and beer shortage as uncertainty prevailed over availability of liquor in the national Capital as the private liquor stores and vends are unlikely to place fresh bulk orders just for a month despite the Government assurances that the new excise policy will be extended for a month.
The officials are facing an uphill task to convince vendors to continue their business to avoid shortage of liquor and beer in the national Capital.
The Government’s four corporations — Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi Consumer's Cooperative Wholesale Store (DCCWS) and Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC) — ran 475 liquor stores out of total 864 in the city while private stores, licences held by individuals, numbered 389, under the old excise regime were also unsure how soon they will be able to find spaces for the stores, gather staff and order adequate liquor stock, processes that take weeks.
“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," they said. Another Corporation DTTDC has also contacted around 40 owners of private premises where it earlier operated liquor stores. Prior to new excise policy 2021, DTTDC ran 122 shops of liquor, officials said.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. Restaurants, hotels and clubs in Delhi have also expressed concerns over the fate of their licences to serve liquor as there will be virtually no liquor supply from the wholesalers to the entire hospitality sector even as the Delhi Government announced late evening that the current excise policy will be extended by a month
The shortage of liquor in Delhi would also mean that sales in neighbouring, Ghaziabad, Nodia, Faridabad, Ballabhgarh and Gurugram will pick up, as the Capital’s residents will be bound to buy their bottles from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Gurugram is already an attractive destination of liquor buyers in Delhi, with stores open even after 10pm and heavy discounts on offer. The Excise Department officials on Sunday held a meeting with stakeholders (private vends) and liquor companies to discuss the issue. “There are some issues which needs to be discussed. We have raised some points such as advance payments of security amounts, payment to liquor companies to get fresh bulk order just for a month etc. On Monday all venders will held meeting to discuss the issue again,” said a private liquor store operator present in the meeting.
According to vendors, the first thing vendors will have to do is make an advance payment for the month. That itself takes a day because the Excise Department only accepts demand drafts which has to be physically submitted. “Some private store operators have finished their stock and they are reluctant to place fresh orders just for a month,” they added. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had earlier announced on Saturday that the national Capital will revert to the old excise policy and that only Government vends will sell liquor from Monday.
However, late evening, the Government announced extension of the current policy by one month in view of the revenue loss and panic among the private vends and stores.
Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar held a meeting with the Excise Department, Deputy CM and Excise Minister Manish Sisodia and the Lieutenant Governor’s office and decided to extend the 2021-22 policy by a month to stop all stores downing their shutters. The Government is expected to issue a notification by late Sunday night, allowing liquor stores currently running in the city to remain open till August end. Under the Excise Policy, Government had issued retail licences for 849 vends across the city divided into 32 zones. Currently only 468 were running whose licences will expire on July 31 as the policy has been withdrawn by the Government.
With new policy gone, the excise licences issued to hotels, clubs and restaurants having bars, and wholesale operations will also become redundant apart from private run liquor stores in the city.
It means, there will be virtually no liquor supply from the wholesalers to the entire hospitality sector and retail vends in the city after July 31, till some alternate arrangements are made by the Government, liquor trade experts claimed.