PIL in HC challenging levying of 70 per cent special corona fee on sale of liquor in Delhi

A plea was filed in the Delhi High Court on Friday challenging levying of 'special corona fee' of 70 per cent on the MRP of liquor of all brands in the national capital, amidst the coronavirus lockdown.

The Delhi government imposed the 'special corona fee' on alcohol, a day after allowing re-opening of 150 state-run liquor vends in the city from May 3.

The plea, which is likely to be listed on May 11, sought setting aside of the May 4 notification and restraining the Delhi government and its Excise Department from levying the fee on liquor or any other consumable product.

Petitioner and advocate Lalit Valecha, in the PIL, said the 'special corona fee' imposed by the Delhi government upon sale of liquor is in excess of what has been authorised by law and accordingly it is being collected arbitrarily.

The plea, filed through advocate Manu Prabhakar, said the order of levying fee was an afterthought and an after effect of the overcrowding and violation of social distancing norms outside liquor shops and mis-management by the authorities and there is no explanation or justification of the sudden levy of the fee by the government.

“The unprecedented levy of 'special corona fee' by the Delhi government resulting in overall increase in MRP (maximum retail price) of the liquor by 70 per cent is arbitrary, uncalled for and bad in law,” the plea alleged.

It said the MRP of liquor in Delhi includes all taxes and duties that have been imposed by the Centre or the state government for the purpose of production, transportation, wholesale and retail sale of the product and increasing the MRP by 70 per cent by means of an executive order is “illegal and bad in law”.