Restaurants, bars to operate till 3 am announces Delhi Govt in new excise policy

The Delhi government on Monday introduced a new excise policy by allowing services such as walk-in experience for customers at alcohol shops, promoting microbreweries and allowing bars in hotels, club and restaurants to operate till 3 am.

Delhi which is 28^th most visited city in the world aims at boosting the city's revenue by pointing that excise is an important source of revenue for the state.

The policy document, however, does not highlight home delivery of liquor which is part of Excise Rules and legal drinking age that was proposed to be reduced from 25 years to 21 years in parity with neighbouring cities.

Under the new system, the government will be out of retail liquor trade, paving the way for closure of state-run shops and promoting private players in the national capital. According to the 2021-22 excise policy, every liquor outlet in the city will provide a walk-in experience to its customers who will have multiple choices of brands, and the entire selection and sale process will be completed within the vend premise.

Such retail vends that will be air-conditioned will have glass doors. Customers will not be allowed to crowd outside a vend or in the pavement and buy through the counter, it added.

It also states that the citizens will also be able to fill their bottles or 'growlers' with freshly brewed beer from any microbrewery in the city. The policy allows microbreweries to supply draught beer to bars. "Draught beer shall be allowed to be taken away in bottles or 'growlers'. Microbrewery shall also be allowed to supply to other bars and restaurants that have license to serve liquor," said the document.

As part of the new reforms, the bars in hotels, restaurants and clubs have been allowed to operate till 3 am except those licensees which have been given license to operate round the clock service of liquor.

The new policy states that such establishments can serve liquor in the open spaces such terrace and balcony. The number of retail liquor vends will be 849 in the city, including five super premium retail vends that will have a minimum carpet area of 2,500 Sq.Ft

According to the policy, the excise department has introduced Excise Adhesive Labels (EALs) with high end security features manufactured by Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) to avoid tax evasion and plugging leakages in supply chain, and has also signed an agreement with SPMCIL.