Delhi govt notifies excise policy for current FY, no changes from last year

The Delhi government has notified the excise policy for the current financial year without making any changes in the last year’s policy in the wake of COVID-19 situation, an official said on Thursday. The official said the policy, which was scheduled to come in April this year, was delayed as the government machinery was busy with measures to arrest the spread of the novel coronavirus in the national capital. "We have notified the excise policy of last year for the current financial year. No changes have been made in it this year," the official said.

Sources said that the draft of the 2020-21 policy had been submitted by the Excise Department to the government in March, but it could not be finalised due to the pandemic situation and the lockdown. Last month, the government had allowed the city's restro-bars, hotels, and clubs to sell their stock of beer expiring by July 15 to liquor shops in a bid to minimise their financial losses. There are around 950 hotels, clubs and restro-bars in the national capital which have excise licenses, however, they have not been allowed to open since March 25 when the first nationwide lockdown was announced to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.

(Image credits: PTI)