According to officials, the Delhi government’s recent excise policy generated revenue exceeding INR 7,285 crore in the past year through the sale of more than 61 crore liquor bottles. This current excise policy, which has been in effect since September 1, 2022, was introduced as a replacement for the previous excise policy. The previous excise policy for 2021-22 had faced scrutiny from the CBI due to alleged irregularities in its implementation, prompting the government to adopt the new approach.
An officer from the Excise Department reported that the cumulative excise revenue collection for the period spanning September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2023, amounted to INR 7,285.15 crore, which included INR 2,013.44 crore collected in the form of value-added tax (VAT).
Contrastingly, the revenue generated from the new excise policy in 2021-22 amounted to INR 5,487.58 crore. This new excise policy, which had allowed private entities to participate in retail liquor sales, was revoked by the Delhi government the previous year following a recommendation by LG VK Saxena to initiate a CBI investigation into purported irregularities in its execution, as reported by officials.
At that time, the Deputy Chief Minister and Excise Minister, Manish Sisodia, faced arrest by the CBI in connection with a case it had filed concerning alleged irregularities in the 2021-22 excise policy. The excise policy had been enacted on November 17, 2021, and concluded in August 2022.
The previous excise policy came into effect on September 1, 2022, with Delhi government agencies assuming control over the retail sale of liquor within the city.
Officials have reported that starting from September 1, 2022, the four Delhi government entities – namely, the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi Consumer’s Cooperative Wholesale Store (DCCWS), and Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (DSCSC) – have established more than 600 retail outlets throughout the city.