In a statement released on May 11, 2020, liquor shops in Maharashtra can soon begin home delivery of alcohol/liquor, as the government has given permission to selected liquor shops. Shops have been asked to ensure social distancing norms at all times. Licensee has been asked to profile with necessary masks and other required material while delivering the order and the use of hand sanitiser is also suggested.
The order was signed by Valsa Nair Singh, Principal Secretary (Excise) and stated that "The licensee shall sell the IMFL - spirits, beer, mild liquor and wines only in respect of the liquor which he is licensed to sale. The licensee shall effect sale and delivery of the foreign liquor only from within the area of the licensed premises and on the day and during the hour as specified."
Liquor shops in Mumbai were recently closed as per orders issued by the BMC, as people across the city flouted social distancing rules, while they crowded to buy alcohol/liquor in Mumbai during the lockdown.
The Maharashtra government headed by Uddhav Thackeray has recently introduced the system of e-tokens in Pune to buy liquor in the state and this move is said to help people to buy alcohol without hoarding one another amidst the coronavirus crisis.
In the past, since people were disengaging with the social distancing norms as they queued up in front of the liquor shops in the middle of the lockdown period, alcohol shops were shut down in the state. Several videos were shared on social media where people were seen standing in long lines to get their share of alcohol. This move to open liquor shops by the government was hence heavily criticized. Data revealed that the stores generated a revenue of over Rs. 150 crores from the liquor sale in Maharashtra. The Supreme Court further urged the state governments to rethink and open the liquor shops in a way where people can buy alcohol in a more systematic manner without cramping up.
The e-token system introduced by the government would give the customers a specific time for purchasing alcohol so that there would no violation of social distancing norms by people queuing up outside state-run liquor stores. One can purchase an e-token to buy liquor in Maharashtra, on the website here, by entering details like name, mobile number, district and pin code. A message is usually sent on registered mobile phones with token details. One can collect the alcohol by showing the PDF or printout of the same. Only a limited number of tokens are issued to avoid overcrowding.
The state of Maharashtra has so far witnessed 22,161 cases of coronavirus with 13,739 cases in Mumbai itself. Therefore, it becomes extremely important to adhere to social distancing norms imposed by the government to contain the spread of the virus.
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