The Delhi government, led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta from the BJP party, plans to introduce a new and improved liquor sales policy. In an interview, she explained that this policy will be open and clear, and designed to help the government earn money without causing problems for people in the city. The BJP won control of Delhi in February, taking over from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). One reason for their victory was the scandals and corruption linked to a previous liquor policy from 2021-22, which was recently cancelled.
Gupta said they will study successful liquor policies from other states and implement the best ideas. The old liquor policy was replaced in November 2021 by AAP to make changes in how liquor is sold in Delhi. However, it faced allegations of corruption. A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry was suggested by the Lieutenant Governor in July 2022 to check for wrongdoing in that policy. After the allegations, AAP cancelled their policy.
The previous policy allowed private companies to sell liquor, but that was stopped after controversies, and as a result, liquor shops run by the government were opened again. Currently, there are about 700 government-operated liquor stores in Delhi. On Wednesday, Chief Minister Gupta had a meeting with officials to discuss the new liquor policy, aiming for something that is clear and works well for everyone.
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