Delhi's private liquor vends to be shut for over a month starting tomorrow

New Delhi: Tipplers in Delhi may face problems in getting their favourite brands in the next one-and-half months as around 40 percent of liquor vends in the national capital that is run privately will shut down from 1 October.Under the new excise policy of the Delhi government, all the 850 liquor vends, including the 260-odd outlets run privately, have been given to private firms through open tender.The new license holders will start the retail sales of liquor in the city on 17 November.In the transition period of nearly one-and-half months, only government-run liquor vends will remain open. The government vends will close down on November 16."There are already problems in getting one's favourite brands since the private liquor store in my neighbourhood has depleted its stock as it is wrapping up business. Permanent closure of private shops means more problem," said a Laxmi Nagar resident, Dhiraj Kumar.An Excise department official said that the government vends have been asked to stock up in view of an expected surge in demand."It's a transition phase and some people may have problems but there will be no shortage as there is adequate number of government vends to cater to the demand," the officer said.There are around 720 operating liquor vends, out of which nearly 260 or 40 percent are privately run, he said.The department has also prepared to check the possibility of illicit liquor entering the city from neighbouring states due to closure of private shops.There are 26 municipal wards in the city where no liquor shops will open after September 30 as they were catered to by private vends only. There are already 80 wards where there are no liquor vends.The Delhi government under its new excise policy divided the city into 32 zones and bid the liquor vends there aiming an equitable distribution of retail liquor business across the city. Each zone comprising 8-10 wards will have around 27 vends.