As private wine and beer outlets close their doors starting on August 1, Delhi residents flocked to liquor stores over the weekend as the national capital braces for a severe shortage in the coming days. The previous guidelines for selling alcohol will be reinstated on Monday and remain in effect for a period of six months.
Due to the duration of their licences under the excise policy 2021–22 expiring on July 31 the 468 private liquor stores now operating in the city will close as of August 1.
At the Star City Mall in Mayur Vihar Extension, there was a rush of customers purchasing alcohol until late in the evening, according to PTI. Vendors were quickly running out of goods.
“Don’t go inside there is no liquor,” said a person returning empty handed from the mall housing several retail liquor stores.
Ever since the late afternoon, there has been a tremendous rush. We are declining consumers who ask for specific brands because the majority have already been sold. However, a lot of people are buying whatever is offered, a mall clerk stated.
Drinkers in the city were given discounts and unique deals like one plus on and one plus two free by private vends for one last time in the city as a result of the government rolling back its new excise policy.
“The store is closing, therefore we are clearing out the inventory. A worker at a liquor store in Laxmi Nagar stated, “We have started offering buy one get two free on all kinds of booze and beer to rid of stocks.
What changes from tomorrow?
• The Delhi government has chosen to return to the previous excise regime and run liquor outlets for the ensuing six months, so the Excise Policy 2021–22, which had been extended twice for two months each after April, would come to an end on July 31.
• The decision was made in the midst of an inquiry by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police and a conflict between Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP administration.
- The city of Delhi’s liquor stores were all had to close for 21 days under the previous legislation, whereas the new policy just required three dry days.
• More than 864 liquor stores, including 389 managed by private businesses and 475 by government organisations, were available in Delhi under the previous alcohol regime.
• No discounts or one-plus-one deals were available on alcoholic beverages.
• Manish Sisodia, the deputy chief minister, claimed that there is currently only one liquor store per 22,707 residents in Delhi after the new excise policy was withdrawn on Saturday.
• The city will be experiencing a booze shortage for the second time in a single year. There was a shortage of alcohol in Delhi for three weeks prior to the new excise’s implementation of privately managed liquor vends beginning on November 17, 2021. This was due to government-run outlets and individual licensees closing their retail operations.
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