Delhi government decides to extend its excise policy’s tenure

Delhi government has decided to extend the current excise policy’s tenure for one more year. The excise duty-based policy regime, which transferred the retail liquor business from private entities to govt-run corporations, was implemented in September 2022 and was extended twice in April 2023 and October 2023 already.

Delhi government’s excise department issued an order saying that the competent authority had granted its approval to extend the policy for the 2024-25 fiscal for granting of the wholesale liquor licences. As per the reports, a similar order for the retail liquor licences in Delhi will be issued soon.

Implemented in November 2022, Delhi’s excise policy of 2021-22 was projected as a progressive one but it had to be scrapped after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case against alleged irregularities in its formulation and implementation.