Delhi excise department cracks down on unlicensed restaurants serving liquor | Delhi News – Times of India

New Delhi: Delhi govt’s excise department has cracked down on eateries serving liquor without valid licenses, conducting 40 raids and filing FIRs against 24 restaurants between Jan 1 and April 30.A senior excise department official said a large quantity of non-duty paid liquor was seized from these establishments. Primarily located in west and north Delhi, these restaurants operating with Delhi Police-issued eating house registration certificates but had failed to obtain mandatory excise licenses for serving liquor, resulting in significantrevenue lossesfor the govt.According to the data shared by the department, nine FIRs were registered for the illegal serving of liquor between Jan 1 and April 30 in 2023, while the number was recorded at five during the same period in 2024. There are nearly 1,000 hotels, clubs, and restaurants in the capital operating with valid licenses issued by the excise department.”Alongside them, a significant number of unlicensed premises are operating across the city without obtaining proper excise licences.These unauthorised operations are causing the govt loss of licence fee revenue, and also the loss of liquor sales revenue,” said an excise department official. “As these premises operate outside the purview of the licensed system, there is a strong possibility that liquor is being served and consumed without paying the requisite excise duty, leading to a substantial revenue loss. These unlicensed entities also escape effective monitoring by the excise department and increase the risk of circulation of non-duty paid liquor, thereby facilitating illegal trade,” the official added.An official said the govt will also request Delhi Police to cancel the registration certificates issued to the eating houses against which FIRs were registered for serving liquor without valid licenses. The excise department initiated a special enforcement drive from Jan 2025, aimed at identifying such unlicensed premises and bringing them under the legal excise licensing framework. Officials said the initiative was expected to not only enhance revenue collection but also strengthen regulatory oversight over liquor distribution and uphold public order in the city.