Excise dept not working, Delhi’s restaurants run low on alcohol stocks

New Delhi: Restaurants in Delhi are facing an alcohol shortage as the excise department's portal, which is used by L-17 licence holders to place orders and update liquor stock, has been non-functional for nearly 10 days. L-17 licences allow independent restaurants to serve alcohol. The portal's downtime has led to the depletion of liquor stocks in restaurants and bars, causing concern among owners. With the Sept 30 deadline for licence renewal approaching, restaurateurs are worried that the portal's malfunction may hinder the renewal process, which is also done through the same portal. Delays in renewal can result in substantial fines.

National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) has written to excise department, highlighting the issues faced by restaurants in making payments for licence renewal due to the portal's non-functionality, but claims to have received no response. The letter signed by Prakul Kumar, secretary general, NRAI says that the problem is exacerbated by bank closures on Sept 28 and 29, leaving restaurateurs with little time to make the payment by the deadline. NRAI has requested the department to grant a 15-day extension for the second instalment payment after the restoration of the excise portal. A restaurateur explained: "The excise portal closed on Sept 3, but resumed functioning a week later. Just as we were getting ready to place orders for the festive season, it stopped functioning from Sept 19 onwards and hasn't resumed yet. This is impacting our businesses."

The portal's malfunction has also affected celebrations, parties and catering businesses, as people are unable to obtain P-10 licences, which allow the service of liquor at events such as parties, functions, and weddings. Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI) president Surendra Kumar Jaiswal has also written to excise department, emphasising the difficulties faced by restaurants.

Officials attributed the problem to the malfunctioning of the Excise Supply Chain Management System (ESCIMS) portal, which regulates liquor trade in the capital. The portal, developed in 2012-13, was managed by Tata Consultancy Services until March this year. The excise department had decided to engage National Informatics Centre and migrate the system to new software, which is still under development. In the meantime, the excise department is managing the portal independently. While excise commissioner Ravi Jha did not respond to inquiries, Delhi govt issued a statement saying that efforts were being made to resolve the issue. However, the statement did not provide a timeline for the resolution or mention any steps being taken to alleviate the problems faced by restaurateurs or liquor vends.

"After unrelenting summers and torrential rains, restaurants are looking forward to the festive season to cover their losses. First, we battle delays in licences and shortage of brand availability, and now we can't even place orders for alcohol because the portal is down. There is no ease in the restaurant business in Delhi," rued a restaurateur.


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