The policy that did the AAP supremo in

Tribune News Service

Anshita Mehra

New Delhi, March 22

The Delhi Government’s liquor policy, which aimed to revolutionise the way liquor was sold and purchased, instead got Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal arrested by the Enforcement Department (ED) on Thursday night.

Policy highlights

• Under the new liquor policy, licences were granted flexibility to offer discounts, with the government allowing concessions, rebates and discounts on the MRP
• It facilitated home delivery of liquor through websites and apps, and permitted the opening of liquor stores in commercial areas like markets, malls and local shopping complexes
• Bars in hotels & restaurants were also permitted to extend their operating hours till 3 am

Major objections

• Critics of the policy had raised objections to the proliferation of liquor shops in close proximity to schools and places of worship
• Potential implications of the increased accessibility to alcohol on family dynamics, particularly for women with alcoholic partners. Increase in the commission of liquor contractors from 2% to 12%
• Extending selling hours for liquor in Delhi from 10 pm to 3 am, allegedly without obtaining NOC from the Delhi Police

The policy, implemented on November 16, 2021, marked a significant departure from the previous system, as government-owned liquor vends were replaced by private establishments.

Consumers had welcomed the change, bidding farewell to long queues and embracing the convenience of air-conditioned stores, where they could browse and select their preferred brands.

Under the new policy, licensees were granted flexibility to offer discounts, with the government allowing concessions, rebates and discounts on the maximum retail price (MRP).

Additionally, the policy facilitated home delivery of liquor through websites and online applications, and permitted the opening of liquor stores in commercial areas, including markets, malls and local shopping complexes.

In a move aimed at enhancing the nightlife experience in the Capital, bars in hotels and restaurants were also permitted to extend their operating hours till 3 am. However, the policy faced backlash over concerns regarding its impact on public safety and social norms.

Critics of the policy raised objections to the proliferation of liquor shops in close proximity to schools and places of worship, highlighting the potential of negative consequences for communities.

Some also raised concerns about the increased accessibility of alcohol and its potential implications on family dynamics, particularly for women with alcoholic partners.

Opposition parties, including the Congress and the BJP, had voiced their dissent, staging protests against the policy. Taking a dig at the Delhi Government’s for its alleged priorities, former Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta had stated during a protest, “Instead of ensuring that the youth gets employment, the CM is pushing them towards alcoholism.”

Alleging constitutional violations and the lack of due diligence, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, had lambasted the decision-making process behind the policy.

He had remarked, “The decisions made by the AAP government, including the increase in the commission of liquor contractors from 2 per cent to 12 per cent and opening liquor shops in 123 Delhi wards, where provisions of the master plan prohibited such establishments, were wrong.”

He had also criticised the government for extending the selling hours for liquor in Delhi from 10 pm to 3 am without obtaining the required no objection certificate (NOC) from the Delhi Police. “Despite the questionable legality of these decisions, the Delhi Government proceeded to implement them,” he had added.

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