Rules for home delivery of liquor only after cabinet’s nod

NEW DELHI: People in Delhi may be able to order liquor at home like they order food online, if the recommendations of a ministerial group are accepted. According to a 17-page cabinet note approved by a group of ministers led by Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, home delivery may be done through empanelled intermediaries who will collect the liquor from retail vends and deliver them to homes in various localities.

The empanelled agencies will be required to hold requisite licenses and permissions.

The ministerial group has pushed for home delivery of approved liquor to ensure people do not drink spurious alcohol that lead to hooch tragedies, and also check bootlegging and interstate smuggling, according to the cabinet note.

After the cabinet approves the proposals, the excise department will draft rules to implement the home delivery system in adherence with the provisions of Delhi Excise Act, such as ensuring that liquor is not delivered to underage individuals. The planning department has advised that a suitable policy should be framed for home delivery of liquor to factor this in, officials said.

The Delhi cabinet in February last year constituted a group of ministers to initiate state excise reforms under the chairmanship of Sisodia. “Noting that the concept of home delivery of liquor has been adopted by many states in India and also considering the Covid experience and also to facilitate the customers, the GOM has recommended that home delivery of liquor sourced from retail liquor vends in Delhi may be allowed,” the cabinet note states.

The GOM said that home delivery of liquor sourced from retail vends may be allowed. CABINET NOTE