Days after the Excise Department proposed to work with other agencies, including Delhi Police, to extend restrobars’ timings till 3 A.M., the Delhi Police is yet to take any decision on it, stating that if the timings need to be extended, then everyone's licencing conditions need to be amended.

According to a senior police officer, “The existing order is only till 1 P.M. and if it needs to be extended, then everyone's licencing conditions need to be amended.”Licences for restaurants are approved by the licencing department of Delhi Police. In a move aimed at making the nightlife of the city more happening, the Delhi Government has taken a policy decision to allow bars to serve liquor till 3 A.M.

The Government has issued necessary directions to the Excise Department and an order is likely to be issued soon in accordance with the Excise Policy 2021-22, a senior Government officer had said earlier.

"Bars at restaurants are now allowed to operate till 1 A.M. The Excise Department will work with other agencies, including the police, if the timing is extended till 3 A.M," he had said. The Excise Policy that came into force from November 2021 recommended that the timings of operation of bars may be brought at par with neighbouring cities.

 In the NCR towns of Gurugram and Faridabad in Haryana, bars are allowed to open till 3 A.M. However, in Noida and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, bars are open till 1 A.M. There are around 550 independent restaurants in Delhi that serve Indian and foreign liquor on being granted L-17 licence from the Excise Department.

The restaurants within hotels and motels, numbering around 150, are already allowed to serve liquor round-the-clock. Such restaurants are granted L-16 licence by the Excise Department.

The Excise Policy calls for creating a conducive environment and improving conditions for smooth business.

Many of the conditions related to Excise operations in hotels, clubs and restaurants need to be in sync with the present-day business and social perspectives, says the policy. In order to meet the twin goal of increasing Excise revenue and providing a favourable environment and conditions to the licensees of hotel, club and restaurant segment, the policy made several recommendations.

The recommendations included rationalisation of licence fee, lowering legal age of drinking from 25 years to 21 years, and doing away with the archaic rules related to not allowing music in independent restaurants.