New Delhi: The experience of buying liquor in the city will be transformed from Wednesday when large shops will replace the small ones, which resemble cabins and dirty and stuffy.
A new store will be like a showroom and people will be able to walk through, explore stock on shelves and choose liquor they like.
All 600 stores in the state will be closed on Tuesday in accordance with new excise policies that seek to make the government out of the liquor business.
Mega 850-odd liquor stores opened with new excise policies are almost ready and most of them get a final touch.
Within a few days, they will all be ready to welcome customers.
The transition is likely to encourage Delhi into the liquor crisis for a short period because all 600 stores managed by the government will close on Tuesday night, but not as many new ones will be opened on the same day.
Last week it was difficult for buyers because they had experienced a crisis of liquor.
The existing shops stopped changing stock because they were in outgoing mode.
They want to sell everything before winding.
Many regular buyers Ti spoke to say that they found it difficult to get their choice brand and had to stand in a long queue outside the store to buy liquor.
“I did not get the brand that I wanted even after examining three shops in East Delhi.
It never happened in the past.
Shelves from most stores are almost empty and they only sell left stock,” said Delhi Dhirendra East.
On October 1, around 250 private liquor stores were closed with new excise policies and demand pressure immediately shifted to the 600 state-run shops.
These stores are directed by the government to increase their shares to fulfill a sudden increase in demand.
The queue outside the shops is getting long because the supply gap.
The Delhi government made all efforts to ensure that the crisis of liquor did not occur.
It has provided a temporary license to more than 350 stores, which means they can start sales.
Overall, 206 brands have been registered until now.
“Ten wholesale license holders have bought 9 latric liters of liquor from various brands so far.
Delhi could not slip into the liquor crisis because of the transition to the new regime from November 17,” said a government official.
However, a trader said under the old regime of around 400 registered brands, which meant people who were looking for 194 other brands would likely be disappointed.
“There is a delay in providing a temporary license by the Excise Ministry, which also postponed the opening of the store.
The license should be traced quickly,” added traders.
Under new excise policies, Delhi has been divided into 32 zones with 8-10 wards each of which has 27 average liquor stores.
It is estimated that the Delhi government will get 10,000 crore rs every year as excise income.