Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Monday that now the legal drinking age in Delhi will be 21 years instead of 25. He also told that there will be no government liquor shops in Delhi. The Deputy Chief Minister said that no new liquor store will be opened in the national capital. Sisodia announced several reforms in the liquor policy on Monday and said that by changing the excise policy, the government is working to remove all the reasons from which the liquor mafia is running its business in Delhi.
Motive to stop liquor mafia
Sisodia said that an expert committee was formed to improve the customer experience, loss of revenue and identify illegal shops in Delhi. The Group of Ministers read the report submitted by the committee and presented its recommendations to the Cabinet. In a detailed presentation, Sisodia said that Delhi has a large area where liquor shops are few, which gives the liquor mafia a chance to flourish.
Sisodia said that there are 172 wards in Delhi, there are no shops in 79 wards, only one shop in 45 wards. There are either no or few in 158 wards where illegal sale takes place. He also said that 50 per cent of all shops are confined in only 45 per cent of the wards. The situation is similar to revenue, where 50 per cent of the money comes from 46 wards. This shows that the shortage is happening in different areas because the consumption of alcohol continues in other places as well.
No new shops opened since 2016
In the last two years, the government has seized more than seven lakh bottles, filed an 1864 FIR against the liquor mafia, arrested 1939 people and seized 1014 vehicles involved in delivery. He said that but this is an upside. Sisodia said that now the government has decided not to open any new shops in the national capital. He informed that since 2016, no new shops have opened in Delhi.