Delhi government allows home delivery of liquor via app, website

The Delhi government has allowed home delivery of liquor under the amended excise rules.

The Delhi Excise (Amendment) Rules, 2021, notified allowing licence holders to deliver liquor booked through an app or a website at the doorstep of the buyers.

The rules also permit the holders of the necessary licences to serve liquor in open spaces such as terraces, the courtyards of clubs, bars, and restaurants.

According to the Delhi Excise (Amendment) Rules, 2021, published in a gazette notification on Monday, holders of the L-13 license will be allowed to deliver liquor to the doorstep of people.

However, only those sellers who have licence in form L-13 can provide home delivery of Indian liquor and foreign liquor to those who have ordered through a mobile app or online web portal.

The licensee shall make delivery of liquor at the residences only if the order is received through a mobile app or online web portal and no delivery shall be made to any hostel, office, and institution, as per the notification.

The move will boost the government’s revenue at a time when Delhi’s economy is struggling in view of the Covid-induced lockdown that has been in place since April 19.

According to the notification, the licensee will deliver liquor at the buyers’ residences only if the orders are received through an app or a web portal.

The Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) has welcomed the government’s move to allow home delivery of liquor in the national capital.

“This has been our consistent demand for long. Last month also, we had requested the government to allow home-delivery of liquor in Delhi. There are many states that have implemented this and there has been no adverse effect coming out of it,” said CIABC director-general Vinod Giri.

The notification issued by the Delhi finance department in the name of the Lieutenant Governor states that in hotels, no liquor will be served by the licensee at any place other than the room in which the person ordering it resides for the time being.

The government also permitted the sale of medicated wine in the city, which is usually prepared by using wine as a solvent to soak out the effective components of herbs.

“The licensee shall not sell any article covered by his licence except for a medicinal purpose. The licensee shall not sell to any person at any one time any article covered by his licence in greater quantity than nine litres or 12-quart bottles, provided that sale in larger quantities may be made to persons holding a chemist’s licence and to government and charitable dispensaries,” the notification stated.

The government also introduced a licence in the form of L-37 for hotel management institutes to keep liquor for the purpose of training.

“The licence shall be issued to hotel management institutes or other teaching institutes recognized by the government. The liquor shall be used for teaching purposes only. The liquor shall be purchased from licensed retail vends only. The limit of liquor shall be decided by the excise commissioner,” it said.