Retail liquor shops across Delhi will remain closed on October 9 and 10 under an order issued by the Delhi Excise Department as a preventive public-order measure, while licensed hotels, clubs, bars and restaurants will be allowed to continue serving liquor.
The order was issued on the basis of inputs from the Delhi Police, according to a report by Millennium Post. It applies to retail liquor outlets operating under specified excise licences, including L6, L6&L6FG, L8, L10 and L8&L14.
The closure comes amid calls for a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10 seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The report said permission had not been granted for the proposed gathering.
The decision places the temporary restriction within a wider security arrangement for the capital. More than 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed across Delhi, according to the report, as authorities prepare for possible public-order challenges around the proposed demonstration.
The excise order distinguishes between retail liquor outlets and establishments that serve liquor under valid licences. Hotels, clubs, bars and restaurants holding the relevant excise permissions will remain open, meaning the restriction is focused on the sale of packaged liquor through the specified retail-vend categories rather than a citywide prohibition on alcohol service.
For residents, the order means that purchases from affected retail vends will not be available during the two-day period. For the licensed outlets covered by the order, operations will be interrupted for the duration specified by the Excise Department. The report did not provide details on any compensation, revenue adjustment or enforcement procedure for the closed outlets.
Delhi’s excise administration and police deployment demonstrate how public-order planning can temporarily alter the operation of ordinary city services and commercial activity. In this case, the restriction has been issued through the Excise Department after police inputs, linking licensing powers with security planning around a proposed public gathering.
The order applies on October 9 and 10. The next operational step is the enforcement of the closure across the specified retail liquor licences, while hotels, clubs, bars and restaurants with valid licences remain permitted to serve liquor.
