In order to meet the consumer demands, the Delhi government’s excise department on Saturday started selling liquor at shops located at Delhi Metro station premises in several areas.
Interestingly, the officials informed that the decision has been taken with an eye on better sales considering high footfall in the area.
Opening Of Liquor Shops
A piece of good news for tipplers as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has issued licences for built-up shops on commercial terms to the Delhi Consumers’ Cooperative Wholesale Store Ltd (DCCWS) to open liquor stores at over half a dozen metro stations, according to the officials.
For this initiative, the Delhi government has considered stations including Badarpur, Dwarka, Karol Bagh, Rajouri Garden and Mundka, as per a senior Excise department officer.
Furthermore, the DMRC was being approached to get permission to open government-authorized liquor shops at other stations.
The excise department officer noted, “Metro stations have a high footfall and that is a big factor in ensuring access to liquor products and thereby more revenue. Some vends have already opened at bigger Metro station premises and others will soon come up,”.
More Liquor Vends In Future
The excise officer said, “We are also planning to give licenses for wine and beer shops which will only sell light alcoholic beverages and rather than those with higher alcohol content like rum and whisky,”.
Apart from liquor stores, there will also be commercial centers, shopping centres and malls at the metro stations to provide a good opportunity for better sales, Officials said. In the future, other corporations too will open shops at Metro premises with DMRC permission.
These built-up shops at Metro station premises are often spacious.
They are suitable to serve the purpose of providing consumers with experience of swankier vends that require a minimum 300 square feet floor area. The four agencies are entrusted with running liquor shops with the present arrangements.
It includes Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC) and DCCWS.
An official said, “We are trying to ensure that the shops have at least 300 square feet of space but some adjustment is being made as smaller shops have to be rented with no option left,”.
Adding, wherever metro premises do not have shops, nearby areas are being explored for opening vends.
By September, the Excise department has planned to open 500 liquor vends across the city. Not only that, there will be around 200 more vends by year-end.