No liquor vend except in Delhi malls in current financial

No new liquor shop except in malls, will come up in Delhi in the current financial year and the mohalla sabhas will be empowered to shut existing neighbourhood vends if there are complaints of "nuisance", the excise policy, approved by the AAP government today, said.
As per the new policy, which does not have any major changes, the rates of liquor will remain unchanged. In fact, rates have not been hiked in the last three years.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters the process to decide on shifting a shop to another area, with prior approval, will be initiated once 10 per cent voters of a mohalla sabha submit a written complaint in this regard.

The city has around 380 government-run liquor shops (L6) while 87 are run privately (L7). New licences have not been issued in the last 10 years. The restrictions will cover L6 and L7 shops although L10 licences for shops in malls will be granted.
Sisodia, who addressed a press conference Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, said that owners and managers of liquor vends would be acted against, to the extent of cancellation of licenxes if there are reports of nuisance in the vicinity of their stores.
"Many people are troubled by liquor vends in their localities as people drink publicly and create nuisance. Women feel unsafe to venture out as they feel unsafe in such an environment. So we have taken these two decisions," Kejriwal said.

The decision came amid a campaign by Swaraj Abhiyan, led by Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, against "proliferation" of liquor vends in the city. It has claimed that "58" liquor vends have come up in the city since last February.

Sisodia said that once the written complaint comes, a meeting of the mohalla sabha will be called in which quorum (minimum presence required) will have to be 15 per cent of the total number of voters of that area including at least 33 per cent women.
"If two-third members present in a meeting decide to shut down a shop then it will have to be shifted. But even then, the members of the area where it is to be shifted will have to approve any such move," he said.

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The government has also increased the licence fee to serve liquor at a party thrown by an individual by 50 per cent.
"The Cabinet, chaired by Kejriwal, has increased licence fee from Rs 5,000 to 7,500 to serve liquor at home," said a government official.
The government had recently denied reports regarding a move to reduce dry days.
It had also said that there is no government proposal to change the existing age limit under the Excise Act, for either Indian citizens or foreign nationals residing in the national capital.