Delhi faces liquor shortage

Delhi is facing a major liquor shortage due to a prolonged malfunction in the Excise Supply Chain Management System (ESCIMS) portal, which has been inactive for much of September, as per reports. 

Launched in 2012-2013, the ESCIMS portal was designed to streamline the ordering, import, and tracking of liquor sales across the capital. With the system down, retail liquor stores, hotels, clubs, and restaurants have been unable to place new orders for over a week, severely disrupting the supply chain. 

Many outlets are now running low on stock. Delhi has over 684 government-operated liquor vends, and an official from one of these corporations disclosed that the DCCWS typically orders around 3.5 lakh cartons of whisky and beer each week. However, the glitch has brought new deliveries to a standstill. 

 This disruption is also leading to significant revenue losses for both the government and key stakeholders in the liquor industry. 

As inventories continue to dwindle, businesses are urgently demanding a resolution to prevent further damage to the sector.