• Source:JND
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Chief Minister of Delhi, Rekha Gupta, held a meeting with Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to discuss the new liquor policy, as the current policy nears expiry, according to the Times of India.  According to sources, under the new policy, which is expected to be rolled out from July 1, popular liquor brands at stores may remain missing as there is no plan to lift the ban on blacklisted companies, the report added. 

Several liquor companies were blacklisted following complaints of irregularities during implementation of now-withdrawn liquor policy and their alleged involvement in a ‘liquor scam’.

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According to sources quoted in the report, the pointers discussed during the meeting included brand pushing, non-availability of popular liquor brands, poor customer experience, and other concerns of the industry. The draft of the new liquor policy, prepared by a committee headed by Chief Secretary Dharmendra, was also discussed during the meeting. Policy will be notified as soon as it receives approval from the cabinet following implementation of changes suggested during the meeting.

The non-availability of top brands in Delhi stores toremains a matter of concern for the government as it leads customers to travel to neighbouring states to purchase, causing financial loss to the national capital. 

The current Delhi liquor policy came into effect in September 2022 and has been extended several times. It was last extended from March to June 30. 

According to sources, the excise department may grant licences to private entities to open bigger retail shops to improve the customer experience. The government may also increase the retail margin on certain variants to improve brand availability.  

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"Govt will ensure the availability of quality liquor to the citizens of the capital, and to make the sale and distribution system transparent, modern and accountable," the report quoted senior Delhi government official as saying.