- Delhi’s online liquor booking aims for transparency, digital governance.
- Opposition parties criticize facility, threatening protests and questioning practicality.
- Consumers book and pay online, but collect orders physically.
- Scheme sees low adoption, facing practical concerns and awareness issues.
The Delhi government’s online liquor booking facility has triggered a political controversy, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) threatening protests against the scheme and the Congress questioning its practicality. Amid the criticism, the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) has said the app was approved by the previous government in 2024 to improve transparency and prevent brand pushing at retail liquor outlets.
The ‘Delhi Liquor Booking’ app was launched by DSIIDC in November 2025 after the required trials. It allows consumers to check liquor availability, reserve their preferred brands and make digital payments before collecting their orders from designated government-run liquor stores. However, the facility does not provide home delivery.
What Are Officials Saying About The Delhi Liquor Booking App?
DSIIDC officials said the online booking facility was introduced to promote transparency, strengthen digital governance and prevent brand pushing during retail liquor sales.
A senior DSIIDC official said the corporation’s management approved the development of the app in December 2024, while a work order was issued on January 2, 2025. The application was subsequently rolled out in November 2025 after the necessary trials.
Initially, the app was compatible only with Android devices. To extend access to iPhone users and ensure platform neutrality, DSIIDC launched a QR-code-enabled microsite on September 6.
Officials said registered customers can check stock availability online, select their preferred brands and pay digitally. Once the booking is confirmed and verified, customers must collect their orders from the designated liquor outlet.
According to officials, the app is also intended to reduce crowds outside liquor shops, which can sometimes lead to law-and-order situations.
The corporation has clarified that home delivery is not available through the platform. Customers can cancel a booking before collecting the purchased bottle, but liquor that has already been sold or picked up cannot be returned.
Users must also verify that they are above the legally permissible drinking age of 25 years in Delhi.
Under the existing excise rules, an individual can possess up to nine litres of whisky and 18 litres of beer. These limits continue to apply to purchases made through the digital booking facility.
How Many Transactions Has The App Recorded?
According to DSIIDC officials, the app recorded 3,629 transactions involving liquor sales worth approximately Rs 13 lakh during the 2025-26 financial year.
In the current financial year, sales worth around Rs 30 lakh have been recorded through 10,730 transactions so far.
However, an official said the response to the facility had been tepid, partly because many consumers remained unaware of its availability.
The online booking service is currently available at more than 200 liquor outlets operated by DSIIDC. Delhi has more than 700 retail liquor stores run by four government corporations.
These agencies are DSIIDC, the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, the Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation and the Delhi Consumers’ Cooperative Wholesale Store.
The digital initiative follows earlier indications by officials that a mobile application under the excise framework could improve consumer convenience and address complaints about the non-availability of liquor brands and stock at retail outlets.
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AAP Calls Scheme ‘Anti-People’, Threatens Agitation
The online booking facility has drawn criticism from opposition parties, with AAP leader and former Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj targeting the BJP-led government over the scheme.
Bharadwaj described the initiative as an anti-people measure and challenged Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to withdraw it within 24 hours, threatening mass agitation and protests if the demand was not met.
In a post on his official X account, he wrote: “Open Challenge to chief minister Rekha Gupta. Roll back this “Book Your Liquor” scheme in 24 hours, else we will start mass agitation and protests against the BJP government. Rekha Gupta is concerned for Sharabis waiting in queues at liquor shops. We will not let BJP continue this anti-people liquor scheme”.
The AAP leader’s criticism centres on the scheme’s purpose and its ability to address the difficulties consumers face while purchasing liquor at retail outlets.
Congress Questions Practicality Of Online Booking
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit also questioned the usefulness of the initiative, arguing that consumers still have to visit liquor stores to collect their orders.
Speaking to news agency PTI, Dikshit said: “But the whole question is, even if you do online bookings, you still have to approach the shop to buy. And that is where both traffic problems as well as ill-behavior problems occur. So, I really don’t know why this step has happened,”
His remarks highlighted a key concern surrounding the scheme: while advance booking may help consumers check availability and avoid uncertainty over stock, it does not eliminate the need to visit a physical outlet.
A response from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Delhi government is awaited.
What Does The Scheme Mean For Delhi Liquor Buyers?
The Delhi Liquor Booking app offers consumers a digital option to reserve available liquor brands and pay before visiting a store. According to DSIIDC, the initiative is intended to improve transparency, prevent brand pushing and streamline purchases.
However, the absence of home delivery means customers must still collect their orders from designated outlets. With opposition parties questioning the scheme’s usefulness and officials acknowledging limited awareness among consumers, its wider adoption will depend partly on how effectively the facility addresses the concerns it was designed to resolve.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
