Delhi Liquor Policy: In Delhi, there was once again an atmosphere of tussle between the LG and the Kejriwal government, the issue was the New Excise Policy. According to the government side, while this policy may work better keeping in mind many other circumstances including increase in revenue, the Delhi government finally had to go back to the old excise policy after the LG’s complete dissent and all private shops, whose The license was expiring on July 31, was asked to liquidate its stock. Due to this, there was a strange atmosphere of panic among the liquor sellers, while seeing the long queues of buyers outside the liquor shops, it was not too difficult to ascertain their mood. While some were in the queue after July 31 due to the cost of liquor, some were busy stocking the cheap liquor available in the offer. After all, the LG has given 1 month time to implement the old policy, but the issue is still arising that why did the LG and the Delhi government come face to face in the sale of liquor? Is this liquor policy to promote alcoholic culture or does it have other meanings internally? First of all let us understand that what is the new and old excise policy, on which there is so much ruckus, after all.
What is the new excise policy?
New Excise Policy Under this, Delhi was divided into 32 zones and under this 849 liquor shops were given a license to sell (retail license). This policy was implemented from 17 November 2021. With the introduction of distribution in private hands, the prices of liquor came down drastically.
Under this policy, restaurants, hotel bars, clubs were allowed to remain open till 3 pm. in old policy While there was a ban on serving liquor in open places, in the new excise policy, liquor could be served in open places also. Bar counters where there was no restriction on the shelf-life of unopened bottles were also allowed in the new policy, as well as serving alcohol in the bar.
before that Old excise policy Under the protection of four agencies of Delhi, 475 liquor shops were operated and distributed. Dender was given to 389 private companies. The same arrangement will happen once again from September 1, 2022, but the license of 468 private liquor distribution centers has expired on July 31.
Highlights of the new policy
The ownership of the government was removed from the liquor shops.
E-tendering system It was made mandatory for the operator of every zone to take L-7Z license.
– Because there was no ban on drinking alcohol in the open, it was forbidden to sell snacks outside liquor shops to reduce it.
Alcohol could not be given to anyone without checking ID. ID check was necessary to see age.
– To prevent smuggling and bootlegging, this policy emphasizes on prioritizing the customer’s choice with the availability of the brand.
In this, emphasis was placed on making liquor shops in such a way that the number of shops in each zone should be almost the same, nowhere more or less.
opposing side
Irregularity was observed in tender distribution. According to the conditions, 2-3 companies were not allowed to merge, but in many places, one company was given the right to distribute in two zones.
See also
The manufacturing company was not allowed to come into the field of sales or retail, which was given from the government side.
– This will increase the addiction of alcohol
ruling party
While the opposition talks about corruption in the new excise policy, according to the Delhi government, this policy is an anti-corruption system in the liquor trade. Apart from this, its purpose is to bring competition opportunities for liquor traders. With this, while the sale of unlicensed and illegal liquor will stop, people will avoid accidents like drinking spurious liquor in the affair of cheap liquor. With all this, the revenue will also increase because if the liquor traders will get the benefits under the policy itself, then they will not sell liquor illegally and this will monetize the government, liquor sellers as well as the buyers of liquor.
Results are nothing, questions are questions
The pros and cons of the new excise policy have their own meaning. The matter is still in the court, which is to be heard on August 9. But the question is, why is there so much ruckus between right and wrong on new and old policy? Was there a penalty for drinking alcohol in Delhi before this new policy? No! Not even with the new policy. Were the incidents of drunken violence in Delhi negligible before this new policy? No! Was drinking alcohol in Delhi a crime before this new policy? No! There are many questions to which the answers are the same in both the policies. Hence, from the social point of view the results of both the policies do not seem to be different from each other. Financially, how it benefits the revenue, how the sale-distribution of liquor is determined, these issues belong to the government machinery, there are errors in it or the process is impeccable is a different issue. But when this debate is done with issues like harming the society and making drunk, then this argument of both the sides seems useless.
Source: www.dnpindiahindi.in”
