Testing liquor quality, digitisation of sales system, curbing illegal sale, and ensuring transparency in the licensing process will be among the reforms in focus, apart from an eye on boosting revenue, as the BJP government brings out a new excise policy soon, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Friday. A high-level committee headed by Chief Secretary Dharmendra has also been constituted to prepare the new policy, said officials.
The committee, having members from the Finance Department and the Excise commissioner, among others, is also reviewing the excise policies of other states so that, along with proper regulation of liquor distribution, social security can be given topmost priority, said officials. The panel, under the leadership of the Chief Secretary, is paying attention to all relevant aspects and consulting stakeholders to draft a comprehensive policy, officials added.
“This work will be completed by June 30. The committee will also review the existing and previous excise policies of the Delhi government. The Excise Department will provide the necessary administrative support to the committee,” said the CM. She added that the committee will present its policy recommendations to the government for appropriate decision-making .
“The government will ensure that no element of the policy negatively impacts the sensitive sections of society. From this perspective, the policy will not merely be a financial document but will also emphasise social balance and accountability. It will also ensure that there is no compromise on the safety, health, and peace of the weaker sections of society,” the CM said, asserting that social security will be key to the new policy.
Targeting the previous government, Gupta asserted that public trust is paramount for the government. “Learning from past mistakes, the new excise policy will be designed in a way that leaves no room for corruption at any level. Public awareness campaigns will be run to prevent alcohol abuse, and monitoring of alcohol consumption in public places will be tightened…The purpose of studying other states’ policies is to incorporate all successful models into Delhi’s new policy—especially those that have shown positive results in revenue growth, control of illicit liquor, consumer safety, and social balance,” the CM said.
The previous AAP government launched a liquor policy in 2021, which faced huge criticism from the Opposition. Later, multiple investigating agencies like the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate started an investigation, and an FIR was also lodged. Former CM Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia were among those arrested in the case.
The AAP government later scrapped the policy in August 2022 and brought in the old excise regime, allowing only government liquor shops to operate in the city.
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The CM called the previous AAP government’s policy “biased, corrupt, and against public interest”. She said that the earlier policy favored select private companies with undue benefits, while causing losses to the state revenue.
“The policy neither followed due legal processes nor prioritised public welfare. Due to serious concerns raised and actions by investigating agencies, the policy had to be withdrawn, which itself was proof of its failure. The corrupt excise policy even led to the imprisonment of the former Chief Minister and several ministers of the previous government,” she said.
