New Delhi, Apr 2 (PTI) Resident welfare associations in the city have expressed apprehensions that the alcohol discount announced by the Delhi government will cause law and order problem in their neighbourhood attracting larger crowds at vends.

According to an order issued by the excise commissioner of Delhi on Friday, the vend owners can offer up to 25 per cent off on the liquor MRP in the jurisdiction of the NCT of Delhi, with strict compliance of Rule 20 of the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010.

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The order, though welcomed by the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies, hasn't found favour among many RWAs.

BS Vohra, who heads the East Delhi RWA, accused the government of generating revenue by risking health of the people.

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"This is wrong. To earn money, the government is risking the lives and health of people,” he said.

“The liquor industry is the major source of revenue for the government and in the capital all industries are facing a crunch. You cannot install new machines because of pollution. So they have resorted to earning money through this mean," he said.

Ashok Bhasin, president of the North Delhi Resident Welfare Federation, said he believes the decision will promote alcoholism and will give rise to law and order issues.

The bigger worry than the discount for Rajiv Kakariya, who is a member of GK1 RWA, is the location of these shops.

"The government can allow liquor shops how much discount they want to give. The major concern is the location of these shops. The shops should not be in the areas close to schools etc," he said.

When asked whether the offering of discounts will cause a law and order problem, Kakariya said it might not be the case.

On February 28, the government withdrew rebates on the sale of liquor in Delhi in view of violations of COVID-related guidelines and “unhealthy market practices”.

With liquor shops giving discounts and offers like 'buy one, get one free', people in large number were seen thronging liquor vends in many parts of the city.

Some law and order issues were also reported with police being called in to control the crowd.

With the government now allowing discount on liquor, the CIABC has welcomed the move.

"We have welcomed the move. We have conveyed this to the government also. The discounts were part of tender conditions," said CIABC Director General Vinod Giri.

The Delhi government had approved the Excise Policy 2021-22 along with the terms and conditions for granting various categories of licences last year. The policy came into effect on November 17, 2021.

According to the tender document issued by the excise department granting 849 retail liquor licences, the licensees are free to give rebate/discount/concession on the MRP of liquor fixed by the excise commissioner.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)