NEW DELHI: The excise department of Delhi government has allowed waiver of licence fee for pubs, restaurants, and hotels serving liquor for about five months as they were closed due to the coronavirus induced lockdown. The stakeholders including owners of bars and hotels in the national capital have sought relief from the government.
An order issued by Ranjeet Singh, deputy commissioner (excise) said that licence fees had been allowed to reduce for 168 days — the period of lockdown from March 25 to September 8. “Several representations were received from the stakeholders who made payment of the licence fee in full, for the excise year 2020-21, seeking relief from payment of excise licence fee of the lockdown period.
And whereas, considering the requests of its stakeholders, the competent authority has allowed adjustment of the licence fee to be paid for the excise year 2021-22,” says the order. With the relief grant by the government, the outlets serving liquor will get licence fee adjustment of Rs 67,000 (for a hotel having up to 20 rooms) to Rs 20 lakh (for L 19 or L 19 F permit holders) depending on the category and seating capacity of the establishment.
L19 is for round the clock service of Indian liquor in independent restaurants with above 200 seats and L19F is required to serve foreign liquor for the same category of the restaurant. In August, the government had asked the department to permit hotels and restaurants to serve liquor. However, the serving of liquor was finally allowed in the city in September after Delhi Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal had given the final go-ahead.
The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), a leading association of restaurant industry, had made multiple representations to the excise department and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in this regard. A bar or restaurant is liable to pay the license fee in advance before the start of the financial year according to the nature of permit depending on the seating capacity, which varies between Rs 1.4 lakh and Rs 44 lakh.
liquor makers raise demand
In April earlier this year, liquor makers of the national capital raised similar demand and asked the government to waive off various excise fees imposed on the industry during the coronavirus induced nationwide lockdown period