Seven months after it decided not to issue fresh liquor licences to restaurants in the capital region, the Delhi government has lifted the ban and said the process to issue new licences will begin again.
The decision has come as a major relief to restaurant owners, who had been struggling to sustain their ventures since the ban. According to sources in the excise department, the process to issue fresh licences to restaurants has begun, but liquor vends—public or private—will not get new licences. Some sources say that the government rescinded its earlier decision as government officials were convinced that barring restaurants from serving liquor would be of no use, as people would drink at other places and cause problems. With a limited number of restaurants having a liquor licence, and the growing demand for alcohol, people will find other places to drink. It is better that they drink in a controlled environment with food, a source said.
In October last year, Swaraj India and the BJP alleged that more liquor vends had been opened during the AAP government’s tenure. Following the accusations, the government had stopped issuing licences.