The Excise Policy 2022-23 being framed by the Delhi government may discontinue the norm of opening two vends per municipal ward in view of problems arising out of constraints of doing so in unregularised parts of the city, officials said on Tuesday.
The Excise Policy 2021-22 notified by the government had divided the city into 32 zones with 850 retail vends distributed over a total of 272 municipal wards as well as the New Delhi Municipal Council areas and the airport. It had made it mandatory for each zonal license holder to open two retail liquor stores in each ward.
Delhi government's group of ministers (GoM) in its meeting last month recommended doing away with the mandatory two vends per ward provision.
"Considering constraints of opening of vends in non-conforming wards, the group of ministers (GoM) has recommended that the requirement of opening of mandatory two vends per ward may be discontinued," an official document said.
The recommendations of the GoM related to the Excise Policy will be implemented after approval of the Delhi Cabinet, the officials said.
There are around 100 wards that are either non-conforming or in which vends cannot be operated due to limited conforming areas there, they said.
Also, there are restrictions of Excise Policy and Rules like no retail vend can be opened within 100 metres of educational institutions (senior secondary schools, colleges), religious places (having pucca structures more than 400 square feet) and hospitals (50 or more beds).
The document said the zonal licensees will be allowed to open up to 27 retail vends in any of the conforming wards under the allotted zones.
The three municipal corporations in Delhi had shut down 58 retail liquor vends and sent notices to over 200 others, citing violations of being in non-conforming areas and the Excise Policy.
