Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has said that the BJP administration in Delhi would implement a new excise policy that is “foolproof” and will embrace best practices from other states in order to increase income.

She said in a PTI interview that the policy would be open and customised to make sure it doesn’t cause any problems for society. In February of this year, the BJP defeated the Aam Aadmi Party to take control of Delhi.

One of the main pillars of the BJP’s campaign was the alleged corruption and irregularities in the excise policy 2021–22 implemented by the previous AAP administration.

Following the accusations, this policy was abandoned. “We will bring a new, foolproof policy that is transparent and generates revenue for the government,” Gupta said in her interview with PTI on Thursday.

According to her, the policy would be designed to avoid any negative effects on the populace or society as a whole. Excise laws are working well in certain states. We will adhere to the most effective excise laws implemented by various states.

In November 2021, the AAP replaced the previous excise policy with a new one (2021–2022) that aims to regulate the Delhi spirits sector.

However, claims of corruption and irregularities undermined the strategy. In July 2022, Lt Governor V K Saxena proposed a CBI inquiry to investigate the allegations of anomalies and rule violations in the creation and execution of the policy. Shortly after that,

It was abandoned by the AAP administration.

Private companies were permitted to run wholesale and retail spirits businesses under the regulation. The government ceased operations and the liquor vends were turned over to private businesses.

On August 31, 2022, the policy was finally abandoned, and private liquor stores closed. The previous regime, which included the Delhi government handling both wholesale and retail spirits sales, was reinstated and is still in effect.

Currently, four government corporations run over 700 liquor outlets in Delhi.

In a review meeting with top Excise Department officials on Wednesday, the Delhi Chief Minister addressed the creation of the new policy. The Chief Minister’s Office said in a post on X that the administration is dedicated to a “transparent and effective” excise policy.