New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday December 13 asked the Excise Department to file its response to a plea seeking closure of a proposed liquor shop in Shalimar Bagh area in the national capital citing the alcohol business in the middle of various residential societies would affect the livelihood of essential shop owners there.
Issuing notice to the Commissioner, Excise, Entertainment, and Luxury Tax Department of Delhi government, the bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh directed them to file a reply and posted the matter for the next hearing on January 28.
In his plea, filed through advocate Amar Nath Saini, the petitioner, who is running a flour mill in the locality, contended that the proposed liquor shop is situated in a purely residential area of a small shopping market consisting of shops of daily necessities in the heart of various residential blocks.
Claiming that the proposed opening of the wine shop created panic among the shop keepers and people in the area, it said the petitioner’s livelihood is badly affected and will lead to a shut down if the liquor shop is allowed to be opened as it would compel the women, children, and senior citizens not to visit the petitioners’ shop, which is just one shop next to the liquor shop.
The plea also sought direction to the Excise Department to cancel the license of the proposed shop.
Various similar petitions have been filed before the Delhi HC after many new liquor shops have started operating across the city after the Delhi government’s latest excise policy which aims to revolutionise the liquor buying experience in the national capital.
Recently, BJP’s Delhi unit President Adesh Gupta has written to the three MCDs urging them to immediately survey their respective areas to ensure that no liquor unit was operating in violation of Municipal or MPD 2021 guidelines after allegations that liquor shops are being opened in non-conforming areas across the national capital.
