Home delivery of liquor allowed in Delhi via app; Oppn parties fume

NEW DELHI: Delhiites can soon order home delivery of liquor through a mobile application or a website, with the city government permitting such facility by issuing a notification amending excise rules, which also allows take-away of draught beer in bottles or growlers from the micro-breweries in the national capital.

The rules permit the holders of the necessary licences to serve liquor in open spaces such as terraces, the courtyards of clubs, bars and restaurants, where customers will have the choice of getting alcohol in bottles.

However, it will be the sole responsibility of such establishments to ensure that no customer takes the served bottles out of the licensed premises.

The move will boost the government’s revenue at a time when Delhi’s economy is struggling in view of the lockdown that has been in place since April 19. According to the notification, the licensee will deliver liquor at the buyers’ residences only if the orders are received through an app or a web portal.

The Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) has welcomed the government’s move to allow home delivery of liquor in the national capital. “This has been our consistent demand for long. Last month also, we had requested the government to allow home-delivery of liquor in Delhi. There are many states that have implemented this and there has been no adverse effect coming out of it,” CIABC director general Vinod Giri stated. Opposition parties in Delhi targeted the AAP government on Tuesday saying it “failed” to provide relief to people affected by COVID-19 but is trying to deliver alcohol at their doorstep.