MLAs oppose liquor shop

Amitabh Shukla

New Delhi, October 22

The MLAs of Delhi are up in arms against the proposal of the Delhi government to open at least one country liquor shop in each of the seventy assembly constituencies. Several legislators, belonging to both the Congress and the BJP, have made representation to the government to stall the move.

The opposition of the MLAs follows the decision of the Excise Department to open 77 country liquor shops in all parts of the city. The department has identified the areas and gone ahead with the proposal of opening the shops. Apart from these 77 shops for country liquor, another 25 selling Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) too would be opened.

Most of the representations have been made to the Excise and Finance Minister A.K. Walia. Some of the MLAs have objected to the proposal in their letters sent to CM Sheila Dikshit also.

The government, however, finds itself in a Catch 22 situation on the issue. "Opening of country liquor shops would prevent people from buying hooch," said an official. He said at present, Delhi had only 64 such shops and the number was too less to meet the growing demand of the people.

Sources said the government was evolving a mechanism to wriggle out of the problem. "The MLAs would be asked to give an undertaking that if a hooch tragedy occurs in their area, the government should not be blamed," an official said. If the MLAs give such an undertaking, we will abandon our plan to open liquor shops, he said.

An Excise Department letter says that the government has identified certain "deficient areas" in the Capital where opening of liquor vends, especially of country liquor is considered "very important".

According to the figures provided by the officials, Delhi has 384 liquor shops at present in which 320 sell IMFL and the remaining 64 are for the sale of country liquor. "This needs to be augmented for enhancing revenue and providing convenience to the people," an official said. (2004)