Following a day of chaos at liquor shops, the Delhi government has decided to charge 70% over and above the maximum retail price of alcohol as ‘Special Corona Fee’.
The additional charges, a government spokesperson said, would come into effect from Tuesday morning. The Delhi Excise Act was amended to include these on Monday. A proposal to this effect was prepared by the Finance Department. The charges will be levied as per the Delhi Excise (Amendment) Rules, 2020.
According to the department notification, the ‘Special Corona Fee’ would entail “70% of the maximum retail price on all categories of liquor sold through licensees for consumption off the premises”.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Kejriwal termed the chaos and crowding in front of shops, without mentioning those engaged in the sale of liquor, “unfortunate” and said his government would revoke relaxations and seal the areas where social distancing norms are not being followed.