Delhi govt completes liquor license allotment in all zones; earns ₹8,900Cr
Hindustan TimesThe Delhi government has completed the process of appointing new licensees for the retail sale of liquor in each of the newly carved 32 excise zones of the national Capital. This will also mark the departure of the Delhi government from the retail business of liquor in the city as the entire segment will be privatised as mandated under the latest Delhi Excise Policy, 2021. The excise department had kept a total reserve price for all the 32 zones at around Rs7,041 crore, whereas it actually managed to earn about Rs8,917.59 crore through bidding. This will mark a new record for the Capital, and push annual earnings growth rate from the current 5-7% to over 30% -- highlighting that the new excise policy, which aims to reform the city’s liquor business by improving user experience, cleaning up the liquor mafia and eradicating pilferage, is making an impact within two months of being adopted.