Delhi govt extends old excise policy by six months

There will be five dry days in the union territory on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, Good Friday, Buddha Purnima, Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Zuha.

New Delhi: Amid a row of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia regarding the alleged irregularities in the now scrapped Delhi Excise policy, the UT government on Wednesday extended the old Excise Policy for six months with five dry days to be observed on five religious festivals, officials said. As further informed by the officials, the existing excise policy has been extended by six months while the officials have been asked to frame a new excise policy in the meantime.

However, there will be five dry days in the union territory on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, Good Friday, Buddha Purnima, Eid-ul-Fitr, and Eid-ul-Zuha, officials said. In Delhi, under the old excise policy of the government (applicable before November 2021), liquor is being sold at government shops only. The extension of the old excise policy comes amid a row over the now-scrapped excise policy 2021-22 which recently led to the arrest of former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

The excise policy was marred by allegations of irregularities after which the Delhi Lieutenant Governor ordered a CBI investigation. Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena has formed a three-member committee under the leadership of the Principal Secretary of the Finance Department to frame a new excise policy as an action to deal with the problem.

The committee has demanded some more time to submit the report. At present, liquor is being sold at 570 shops in Delhi besides 960 hotels and bars in which liquor is served in the UT.