- By Nidhi Giri
- Wed, 06 Nov 2024 12:42 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Delhi Premium Liquor Shops: The Delhi government has decided to open up more premium liquor vends in the city to cater to high-end customers ahead of the New Year and other festivals. As per the Excise Department officials, these stores will be larger in size, ideally over 500 square meters, with customers given the option to select their preferred brands off the shelf.
"We have asked the four Delhi government corporations to open more premium shops. They are working on it,” a senior Excise Department officer said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
After the excise tax hike in August 2020 and the closure of private liquor vends in Delhi, four corporations handle all liquor trade in the city. These are the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi Consumers' Cooperative Wholesale Store (DCCWS), and Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (DSCSC).
The official stated that currently, more than 45 premium vends are operational at major shopping hubs and malls in the city. The four corporations have been instructed to identify suitable locations to rent out for opening more premium vends. The new premium stores in the capital will likely be opened in malls and shopping complexes, depending on available rental space.
The official also mentioned that the four corporations collectively run nearly 700 liquor stores in smaller shops, where customers purchase their brands across a wooden counter. Revenue from excise duty on liquor and Value Added Tax has shown improvement this year compared to the previous fiscal year, and new premium shops are expected to attract more customers, boosting sales and earnings.
In the first half of the current fiscal year, the Excise Department earned Rs 3,047 crore in duty on liquor sales, compared to Rs 2,849 crore earned in the same period last year, according to the PTI report.
(With Agency Inputs)
