Scrapped excise policy fails to dent revenue as Delhi rakes in Rs 5,548 crore

An average of 17 lakh bottles of alcohol were sold a day, generating a revenue of Rs 19.71 crore. The total revenue collected, after including excise revenue and VAT, was Rs 6,821 crore.

The now-scrapped excise policy of 2021-22 has been at the centre of a CBI and ED probe, with former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in jail in connection with its alleged faulty implementation and corruption. He was denied bail in the case on Friday.

A new policy was then put in place, where all private players were pushed out of the retail business and only government agencies were allowed to run liquor shops. Officials said that around 1,000 brands have been registered in the city, and 930 hotels, clubs and restaurants have licences to serve patrons.

At present, there are over 570 government-run liquor shops in Delhi. This included 10 shops that have been allowed to open in malls. For several years, Delhi had a combination of private and government liquor vends. Under the 2021-22 policy, the entire retail business was handed over to private retailers. When that policy was scrapped late last year, only government shops were allowed.

While the revenue is higher, customers have been complaining of poor brand availability and unsatisfactory experience. Excise department officials have said they are working towards addressing these issues.

(Inputs from PTI)