Liquor traders request Delhi govt to reinstate private vend licenses

The liquor traders in the city have requested the Delhi government to reinstate private liquor vend licences issued under old excise policy.

Delhi Liquor Traders Association in a letter to Excise department, on Friday, urged for reinstatement of retail vend private licenses (L-7 and L-10) that were issued in old regime of excise duty based policy prevailing before November 17, 2021.

Currently most of the former L-7 and L-10 licensees have the possession of their owned or leased shops and are capable of providing their services from September 1, if issued the required license, the Association said.

The L-7 license for retail sale of liquor was issued for vends on the main roads and commercial markets while L-10 was meant for stores in shopping malls.

Delhi government had last month announced to withdraw it's new Excise Policy 2021-22, under scanner with a CBI probe recommended by the LG into alleged irregularities in its implementation, and run liquor stores through its four undertakings only from September 1.

Under the excise policy 2021-22 implemented from November 17, 2021, zonal licences were issued to successful private bidders for 849 liquor vends grouped into 32 zones covering the whole city.

The Association made the case for reinstating private liquor vend licenses claiming in its letter that the L-7 and L-10 vends accounted for 40 per cent of all retail stores in Delhi but contributed 60 per cent of overall revenue for the exchequer.

In the old excise regime, a total 864 retail vends were there in Delhi before November 17, 2021. These included 475 run by Delhi government undertakings and 389 by private entities.

Under the old regime, out of a total of 272 municipal wards, 77 wards were completely unserved, because neither a government-owned nor a privately-owned wine shop was sanctioned there, said the Association.

Furthermore in 28 wards no government shop was located and such areas were served only by the privately-owned liquor shops, it said.

As licensee under old excise regime, the liquor traders had a great partnership with the Delhi Excise department going back 15 to 20 years. However, presently they were out of job, said Naresh Goel, president of the Association.