Delhiites may soon enjoy home delivery of liquor
NEW DELHI: Home delivery of liquor in the national Capital is likely to see the light of the day soon, as a group of ministers (GOM) of the Delhi government has given a go ahead to it, officials said on Tuesday.
The GOM has also viewed that there should not be any restriction on the rate of discounting by the retail liquor vends as long as the market operates in a healthy manner.
Delhi government in view of crowds outside retail vends and some reported malpractices, recently capped the discount on liquor to 25 per cent.
The proposals of home delivery and other recommendations of the GOM, regarding the Excise Police 2022-23 being framed, will be put before the Delhi Cabinet for its approval, the officials said. “.... The group of ministers recommended that home delivery of liquor sourced from retail liquor vends in Delhi may be allowed,” said an official document citing meeting of the GOM last month.
The GOM considered that home delivery could be an appropriate alternative to ensure liquor supply during pandemic or emergency situation induced lockdowns, besides ensuring equitable distribution of liquor, checking spurious liquor consumption and inter state smuggling. The home delivery may be done by empanelled intermediaries who will collect the liquor from respective retail vend and deliver it to respective localities through ordering by the chosen empanelled agency to do home delivery, the Excise department has proposed.
Excise department will frame detail terms and references for the grant of L-13 licence after approval of the home delivery proposal by the Cabinet, said the document. It will study various models adopted by other states in the country. The chosen empanelled agencies will hold L-13/ L-13 F license enabling such entities to do home delivery.
Meanwhile, Delhi may soon have an altogether different shopping experience in mega liquor vends spread over more than 5000 square feet with merchandise like cigars, liquor chocolates and art paintings on sale, besides having tasting rooms, officials said on Tuesday.
The minimum and maximum size of retail liquor stores in the city were fixed to 500 square feet and 2000 square feet by the new Excise Policy being implemented by the Delhi government from November last year. Delhi government’s group of ministers has made several recommendations for formulating Excise Policy 2022-23, including increasing the maximum size of retail vends to 5000 and above, officials said.
The minimum size of 500 square feet mandated by Excise Policy 2021-22 for retail vends to provide walk in experience to customers should be maintained, the GOM recommended in its meeting last month.
“However, the upper limit of 2000 square feet may be increased to 5000 square feet,” it said as per an official document.
The Excise Policy 2022-23 being framed by the Delhi government may discontinue the norm of opening two vends per municipal ward in view of problems arising out of constraints of doing so in unregularised parts of the city, officials said on Tuesday.