Coming Soon! Home Delivery Of Liquor In Delhi And New Mega Vends With Tasting Rooms
Soon, residents of the national capital could get liquor delivered at their doorsteps as a group of ministers (GoM) of the Delhi government has given a go-ahead for the proposal.
"....The group of ministers recommended that home delivery of liquor sourced from retail liquor vends in Delhi may be allowed," said an official document citing meeting of the GoM last month.
The home delivery may be done by empanelled intermediaries who will collect the liquor from respective retail vend and deliver it to respective localities through ordering by the chosen empanelled agency to do home delivery, the Excise department has proposed.
Liquor home delivery?
Excise department will frame detail terms and references for the grant of L-13 licence after approval of the home delivery proposal by the Cabinet, said the document.
It will study various models adopted by other states in the country. The chosen empanelled agencies will hold L-13/ L-13 F license enabling such entities to do home delivery.
Excise department said that the department will ensure no violation of the provisions of the Delhi Excise Act, 2009 and terms and conditions framed under L-13 license.
Delhi government in June 2021, notified Delhi Excise(Amendment) Rules, 2021, that allows licence holders to deliver liquor booked through an app or a website at the doorstep of the buyers.
The provision of home delivery comes under Rule 66 of the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010. Holders of L-13 license were allowed to carry out such delivery "at the residences only if the order is received through e-mail or by Fax (not on the telephone)".
According to the amended rule, the holders of L-13 license will deliver liquor to the doorsteps of consumers ordering it through mobile app or online web portal.
However, no delivery will be made to any hostel, office, and institution.
No more mandatory two vend rule?
The GoM has also recommended doing away with the mandatory two vends per ward provision notified in the Excise Policy 2021-22 which had divided the city into 32 zones with 850 retail vends distributed over a total of 272 municipal wards.
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).
New walk-in liquor shopping experience?
Another major change recommended by the GoM is to increase the upper limit of space at liquor vends to 5000 square feet.
Under the current Excise Policy, the minimum and maximum size of retail liquor stores in the city were fixed to 500 square feet and 2000 square feet.
The minimum size of 500 square feet mandated by Excise Policy 2021-22 for retail vends to provide walk in experience to customers should be maintained, the GoM recommended in its meeting last month.
"However, the upper limit of 2000 square feet may be increased to 5000 square feet," it said as per an official document.
The mega vends will also have merchandise like cigars, liquor chocolates and art paintings on sale, besides having tasting rooms.
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