MCD sour over Delhi govt’s new bar licence plan

Hindustan Times  11.12.2010

The BJP-ruled MCD is unhappy over the Delhi government’s new simplified system to grant liquor licences to city restaurants. On December 6, the Delhi government had entrusted the Tourism Department with the responsibility of functioning as a nodal agency to facilitate grant of such licences to restaurants to reduce procedural delays.

Any restaurant seeking to serve liquor has to get various kinds of approval from agencies such as the MCD, police and Fire Department, besides the Excise Department.

Under the existing system, the applications used to be processed in a linear fashion and unless the first department cleared it, the next department would not take it up for approval. Now, restaurants can apply to all agencies at the same time.

The MCD, however, feels the new system is an attempt by the Congress government to usurp its powers.

Chairman of Standing Committee of MCD, Yogender Chandolia on Friday urged the Lt Governor to deter the Delhi government from ‘depriving’ the corporation of the powers conferred upon it.

“It is one thing to make the restaurant and bar licence procedure simple and non-time consuming for which suggestions may be made to the corporation. But it is a different thing to place a department having no legal sanctity upon the functioning of the MCD,” he said.

“Section 421 of the DMC Act confers the powers upon the corporation to grant licence for eating, lodging, hotel…or for the consumption of any food or drink or any place where food is sold or prepared for sale,” said Chandolia.

He said the orders and the procedures as declared by the Delhi government are based on”political whims”.