Political row erupts after Delhi govt starts online liquor app; AAP wants ‘rollback’

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.People buy alcohol at a liquor shop in New Delhi on Thursday. (HT photo)The DSIIDC is offering the facility to book their preferred brands in advance through its Delhi Liquor Booking app, providing a digital alternative to purchasing liquor directly at its outlets.The app allows consumers to reserve brands available at DSIIDC-run liquor vends, enabling them to check availability and book their preferred liquor in advance.“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.Also Read: Liquor langar in Chandigarh Sector 9: 2 days on, contractor arrestedThe official, however, said the response has been tepid since many people are still not aware about the facility.Under the existing purchase limits, an individual can buy up to nine litres of whisky and 18 litres of beer.The digital booking facility is aimed at making liquor purchases more convenient by allowing consumers to reserve their preferred brands before visiting the outlets. The service, however, is limited to brands available at DSIIDC-run vends.The facility provides consumers with an alternative way to plan their purchases, while the existing limits on individual purchases continue to apply, officials said.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.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.Controversy eruptsAam 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.Also Read: AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj files complaint over burning of cockroach effigy on Dussehra; BJP hits back with ‘political termites’ jibe“Open Challenge to chief minister Rekha Gupta. Roll back this “Book Your Liquor” scheme in 24 hours, else we will start mass agitation and protests against the BJP government. 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.“But the whole question is, even if you do online bookings, you still have to approach the shop to buy. And that is where both traffic problems as well as ill-behavior problems occur. So, I really don’t know why this step has happened,” he told news agency PTI.A response from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Delhi government is awaited. The copy will be updated whenever it is received.