Delhi excise policy: The Delhi government has extended the existing excise policy for the next three months on Wednesday (March 26) amid no decision on a new version. The competent authority has approved the extension of validity of existing L-1/L-1F/L-2 licensees for the sale of liquor brands registered as per approved terms and conditions for 2024-25 at their existing price up to June 30, 2025, said a circular issued by the excise department. L-1, L-1F and L-2 are wholesale licenses for the sale of Indian liquor, foreign liquor and beer, respectively.
The licensees willing to avail this extension period of three months from April 1 (Tuesday) to June 30 (Monday) are required to deposit three months' fees on a pro-rata basis for that period. The extended policy, also known as the old excise policy, came into operation in September 2022 after the then Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government scrapped its reformative policy (2021-22) that ran into rough weather amid allegations of irregularities in its formulation and implementation.
Rekha Gupta-led BJP govt yet to come up with 'new excise policy'
The excise portfolio is held by the new Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta. The old policy has since been extended for varying periods, as the Delhi government is yet to come up with a new policy. It was extended last time in September 2024 for a period of six months up to March 31, 2025. A draft of a new policy for 2023-24 prepared by the excise department, is lying with the government, officers said.
The old policy was meant to be a stopgap measure to prevent a regulatory vacuum due to the sudden scrapping of the new excise policy for 2021-22 by the previous AAP government after Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into alleged irregularities in its implementation.
Reform in alcohol trade in national capital
The new policy (2021-22), aimed at reforming the liquor trade in Delhi, was implemented on November 17, 2021, and it came to an end on August 31, 2022. Under the policy, the Delhi government quit retail liquor sales, allowing private parties to run liquor stores across the city under a liberal excise regime.
Under the extended policy, four Delhi government corporations operate retail liquor vends across the city.
The four corporations are-
- DTTDC (Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation)
- DSCSC (Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation)
- DSIIDC (Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation)
- DCCWS (Delhi Consumers' Cooperative Wholesale Store Limited)