The Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) has developed a mobile application that allows advance booking of liquor from retail vends in the national Capital.
“Consumers have to pay in advance through the application. They can pick their order at the DSIIDC liquor vend. There are nearly 210 liquor vends run by DSIIDC across the city,” said an official.
The official, however, said the response has been tepid since many people are still not aware about the facility. The facility provides consumers with an alternative way to plan their purchases, while the existing limits on individual purchases continue to apply, officials said.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called out the current ruling dispensation in Delhi over the ‘Book your Liquor’ scheme adding that it was an anti-people scheme. “Open Challenge to chief minister Rekha Gupta. Rekha Gupta is concerned for Sharabis waiting in queues at liquor shops. We will not let BJP continue this anti-people liquor scheme”, he posted on his official X account. Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit questioned the scheme’s practicality, noting that despite online bookings, one still has to visit the store to collect the order.
Delhi currently has more than 700 liquor vends operated by four government agencies namely DSIIDC, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation and Delhi Consumers’ Cooperative Wholesale Store.
To be sure, last year, officials said the new excise policy was likely to see the introduction of a mobile app to improve consumer convenience and address frequent complaints related to the non-availability of liquor brands and stock at retail outlets. Roll back this “Book Your Liquor” scheme in 24 hours, else we will start mass agitation and protests against the BJP government.
