New Delhi: Many Delhi residents were probably waiting with bated breath, phones at hand, to begin ordering alcohol at home from Friday. However, they will have to wait a little longer.
Approved by Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal Thursday, the Delhi (Amended) Excise Rules 2021 — allowing home delivery of liquor for orders via app/web portal, among other things — came into effect Friday. However, the much-talked about provision for home delivery of liquor will take a while to be rolled out.
This is because, an official in the Delhi Finance Department told ThePrint, the rollout would require vendors to get the L-13 licence and no one has been issued the document so far.
Home delivery of liquor has been part of Delhi Excise Rules since 2010, but L-13 only allowed it for orders placed through email/fax until 1 June, when the Delhi government allowed people to book deliveries through app/web portal via amendments to the Delhi Excise Rules.
“It (liquor home delivery policy) is not new. Even before this, those who had the L-13 licence could deliver alcohol to residences provided the order was received through email and fax,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
However, the official added, since there weren’t many takers for this, “not a single vendor has actually been issued this licence by the government as of date”.
For the new rules to be implemented on the ground, the Delhi government needs to clear and approve applications for the licence.
ThePrint reached Prince Dhawan, special commissioner (trade and taxes), who holds additional charge as Special Secretary Finance for Delhi, for a comment on the roll out of the initiative, but he didn’t respond to calls or messages
The formal notification issued by the finance department of the Delhi government on 1 June stated that the amended rules — including Rule 66, allowing liquor home delivery orders through app/web portal — will come into effect from 11 June.
Several Delhi government officials, including an adviser to Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, have taken to Twitter since 1 June to clarify that home delivery of liquor is not a new policy, just a revised one.
Factual Info.- Delhi govt hasn't announced any new policy on "Home Delivery of Liquor"
The service already finds it's mention in Excise Rules 2010.
Delhi Excise Rules Amendment 2021 has only introduced use of mobile app/web portal instead of email/fax for ordering of Liquor. pic.twitter.com/w0oZnj4wDP
— Shaleen (@ShaleenMitra) June 1, 2021
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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