NEW DELHI: Delhi is all set to implement its new excise policy. The final draft may be ready in a month, following stakeholder consultations at a high-level committee chaired by PWD Minister Parvesh Verma, according to sources. For now, the government has extended the old excise policy till March 31, 2026, to ensure continuity until the new framework is rolled out.
The sources said that the new policy would allow premium liquor brands to be sold across all liquor shops in the city. They are currently limited to a few outlets, resulting in consumer complaints and revenue losses.
“The idea is to bring Delhi on par with NCR in terms of availability and pricing of premium liquor,” a source said, adding the move is expected to plug revenue leakage and check the outflow of buyers to Gurugram and Noida.
The committee also discussed the possibility of reducing the legal drinking age for beer, but officials familiar with the deliberations said that no consensus was reached.
On August 4, CM Rekha Gupta announced the establishment of a committee to a transparent and socially secure excise policy, headed by Verma. The committee reviewed the excise policies of several states to adopt best practices. She said that the new policy would incorporate several excise reforms, including scientific testing of liquor quality, digitisation of the sales system, strict action against illegal sales, and transparency in the licencing process.