The national capital will observe a ‘dry day’ today on the occasion of Dussehra and four more days in the coming weeks due to other festivals. ‘Dry day’ actually means the sale of alcohol is banned during the day in the state.
The Delhi government’s excise department in an order on Monday said all the liquor vends will be closed across the national capital on Dussehra (October 5), Eid Milad-un Nabi and Valmiki Jayanti (October 9), Diwali (October 24), Guru Nanak’s birthday (November 8) and Guru Tegh Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day (November 24).
The Delhi government said the licensees will not be compensated on account of any changes in the list.
As per the previous excise policy in 2021-22, the number of dry days in Delhi were cut to just three i.e Republic Day (January 26), Independence Day (August 15) and Gandhi Jayanti (October 2). The hotels, clubs and restaurants are not allowed to serve liquor on these three national holidays.
| DAY | DATE |
|---|---|
| DUSSEHRA | OCTOBER 5 |
| EID MILAD-UN-NABI | OCTOBER 9 |
| VALMIKI JAYANTI | OCTOBER 9 |
| GURU NANAK JAYANTI | NOVEMBER 8 |
| GURU TEGH BAHADUR MARTYRDOM DAY | NOVEMBER 24 |
| SOURCE: DELHI EXCISE DEPARTMENT | |
An excise department official told PTI that it is the government’s discretion to fix the dry days numbers. He added that hotels, clubs and restaurants serving liquor will remain open.
The Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi withdrew its excise policy 2021-22 after lieutenant governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe alleging irregularities in the implementation. The government reverted back to the old excise policy that was in operation before November 17, 2021, under which there were 21 dry days.
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