Private liquor shops will be a thing of the past in the capital city as they were reportedly replaced by over 300 Delhi government vends from Thursday owing to switch over from Excise Policy 2021-2022 to the old regime.
In the coming days over 500 are planned to be opened by four Delhi government undertakings.
Now, several government vends will be located in malls, near metro stations and duty-free shops at the airport. It is pertinent to note that the number of retail liquor stores in the city has gone down by around 200, with many licensees quitting the business due to "financial losses" and problems faced by them under new excise policy regime.
With license holders forced to shut shops, many areas in the city are left with no liquor vends. This will have a deep impact on the livelihood of those who were dependent on the sale of liquor.
With the Delhi government taking over the sale of liquor one wonders, without excise duty being charged if the price of liquor in the capital city will come down. Will it be a blessing in disguise? Only time will tell.
