On Friday, as told by officials, the Delhi government has taken a policy decision to permit bars to remain open and serve liquor till 3 am. The move has been taken in view of revamping the nightlife in the national capital.
A senior government official said that in accordance with the Excise Policy 2021-22, an order will be issued soon. He said, "Bars at restaurants are now allowed to operate till 1 AM. The Excise department will work with other agencies, including police if the timing is extended till 3 AM."
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The Excise Policy in Delhi
The Excise Policy came into effect in November 2021 which shared the recommendations about the operational timings of bars to be brought at par with neighboring cities.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is accountable for the Excise portfolio, signed an official file with a note, "The excise department of Delhi, for all practical purposes, [is] to consider the closing time of restaurants at 3 am, and no restaurant will be subject to any harassment on account of operation up to 3 am", quoted as saying by Mint.
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Move welcomed by NRAI
Meanwhile, on Friday, Gurugram has permitted pubs to remain operational 24X7 while in Noida, pubs are allowed to stay operational till 2 am.
Kabir Suri, the president of the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) said, "We had approached the Delhi government with the demand that the timings for the opening of bars be extended till 3 am as it is recommended in the policy", quoted as saying by News18.