Despite the extension of licence for one month by the AAP government, most of the liquor traders in the national capital are not willing to place bulk orders, leading to an unprecedented liquor crisis in Delhi.

The liquor traders are afraid that if they place orders in bulk, they will be under pressure to clear the inventory anyhow by the end of this month after their licence expires on August 31.

The capital city is not experiencing the liquor crisis for just premium brands, even the non-premium brands are not available at many outlets.

Meanwhile, a total of six zonal licensees have opted out of the extension and surrendered their licences even as private shops reopened on Tuesday after LG V.K. Saxena’s approval for one month extension. It has resulted in the closure of 126 stores out of the total 468 that were presently operating in the city.

At present, there are no liquor shops open in areas like Greater Kaliash, Daryaganj, Punjabi Bagh, Chittaranjan Park, Paharganj, Sarita Vihar, Anand Vihar and Shakarpur, among others.

The city was divided into 32 zones for the implementation of the new excise policy by the Delhi government. However, 16 zonal licences have been surrendered out of the 32 zones.

On the contrary, bars and restaurants in the city are serving liquor as usual now.

Talking to IANS, Rahul Singh, trustee, National Restaurant Association of India, said the licence extension has come as a relief as at least they can continue to serve liquor.

“The wholesalers are allowed to supply liquor to the retail vends which in turn supply to us. We had the old regime for many years. So whatever the government decides, we can only follow,” said Singh.

However, this dilly-dallying approach with the excise policy has confused the consumers and has also impacted the supply chain management.

“This start-stop-start mode or the short-term extension of a month only disrupts the supply chain. This is causing loss to all the stakeholders, be it the government, the manufacturers, the traders or the consumers,” said Vinod Giri, Director General, Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC).

As the centre launched its ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign under the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, various leaders from the Congress party took a jibe at the central government over the campaign by adding former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s picture to their Twitter display picture and said that it was good that the government was recognising the tricolour.

The party’s media in-charge and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh started the trend. Attacking the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh which uses a different flag, Ramesh said,” Sangh people are now adopting the tricolour. We are putting the DP of our leader Nehru with the tricolour in our hand. But the message of the Prime Minister did not reach his family.”

Another senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari, who changed his DP, took a jibe at the BJP and said, “Where were their ancestors in the freedom struggle? It is good that now they are adopting the tricolour.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it pains our hearts if some political comments are made at the celebrations related to the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and the celebrations that are organised across the country around the 75th Independence Day.

“We will also call upon Congress and other political parties and leaders to leave politics and put their efforts so that the country can move forward in a positive way.”

“The ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign is not a political programme. It is a government programme. That’s why today when the Tiranga bike rally took place in Delhi, this call was made by the Minister of State, a ministry of the Government of India. It was given that let’s do tricolour bike rally together in Delhi and its flag-off was done by at the hands of Vice President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha Venkaiah Naidu Ji because it is a politically neutral programme,” he said.

“Politics is happening on this as well. A lot of statements are coming on this. BJP would like to request parties without naming them only with folded hands. Tricolour belongs to everyone and if all MPs participate in it, this animosity will end,” he said.

“It was the Prime Minister’s call to hoist the tricolour in 20 crore homes. For this everyone should have a holy hand and as the PM has said time and again, national policy is above politics. This tricolour is not of any party, but belongs to the nation. The tricolour is to be hoisted in every house. It cannot be the line of any party, but is the line of the new nation.”

NEW DELHI, Aug 3: An estimated 1.06 crore tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir from January to July 3 this year, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Responding to questions in the House, the minister also said nearly 30,000 people have been recruited in the public sector in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019.
“During the current calendar year i.e. from January 2022 till July 3, 2022, the tourist footfall in UT of Jammu and Kashmir increased significantly and estimated to be around 1,06,24,000,” he said replying to a written question.
Rai did not specify whether the number of tourists includes pilgrims visiting Vaishno Devi temple and Amarnath Cave.
He said 75 offbeat destinations have been identified for tourism across Jammu and Kashmir.
In order to attract private investors from across the country to invest in tourism infrastructure, the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Policy, 2020, has been notified and tourism given the status of industry to encourage investment, he said.
Replying to another question, the minister said special recruitment rules were made and various departmental rules amended to accelerate the recruitment process in a transparent and time bound manner.
“Recruitments in the public sector have been carried out from the year 2019 onwards totalling 29,806,” he said.
On August 5, 2019, the central government abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the erstwhile state into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. (Agencies)

A total of 4,690 people were arrested under the anti-terror law UAPA between 2018 to 2020 but just 149 were convicted under it in the three year period, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said on Wednesday.

Rai said 1,321 people were arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2020 while 80 people were convicted in that year.

Advertisement

In 2019, 1,948 people were arrested under the UAPA and 34 people were convicted in that year and in 2018, 1,421 people were arrested while 35 people were convicted, he said replying to a written question in Rajya Sabha.

The minister said the highest number of people arrested under the UAPA between 2018 and 2020 was in Uttar Pradesh — 1,338, followed by Manipur — 943 and Jammu and Kashmir — 750.