Delhi excise department has announced reducing the number of ‘dry day’ to three in the national capital this year. Earlier, the dry days numbered 21 including on birth anniversary of great leaders and religious festivals.
The excise department, in an order announced on Monday, said that the dry day will be observed only on Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti. The business premises of a licensee will be kept closed on dry day. The order said that apart from the above three dry days, the government may declare any other day in the year as ‘Dry Day’ from time to time.
“In pursuance of the provisions of Rule 52 of Delhi Excise Rules, 2010, it is hereby ordered that – Republic Day (January 26), Independence Day (August 15) and Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) – shall be observed as “dry day” in the national capital by all the licensees of the excise department and vends located in Delhi for the year 2022,” the order by the excise department said.
The licensees will not be entitled to any compensation on account of any changes related to number of ‘dry days’. All the licensees will exhibit the ‘dry day’ order at some conspicuous place of their licensed premises, it said.
The new excise policy, which was notified last year, had proposed reducing the dry days. However, the formal order was awaited.
In March 2021, Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia had announced that the Delhi government would embark a new excise regime by slashing the legal age of drinking to 21, exiting the retail alcohol business, overhauling a labyrinthine tax system, and reducing the number of dry days to 3.
However, the formal order regarding reducing the drinking age is yet to be issued by the government.
The BJP and the Congress have opposed the new excise regime in the national capital. The BJP-led MCDs have even sealed at least 30 new liquor stores since November last year, while court cases are going on against several other outlets.
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment