The government of Maharashtra on Tuesday had allowed home delivery of liquor during the extended lockdown period during the coronavirus pandemic to facilitate physical distancing. However, the home delivery will not be applicable in Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Nagpur as of now, where the civic bodies have not given permission to liquor shops to open their establishments.
The guidelines have further stated that the sale and delivery of the liquor would be allowed only in the jurisdiction of the licensed premises at the specified day and timings, provided the permit holder has placed an order for the same. Furthermore, the liquor shops would have to make sure that the liquor delivery personnel use face masks and sanitisers regularly due to the contagious nature of the infection. However, the government added that the doorstep delivery would only be valid during the lockdown period and could be subjected to modifications or cancellations in the future.
The Supreme Court last week left it open for states to consider online sales and home delivery of liquor. Hundreds of people gathered outside liquor shops across the country, ignoring all social distancing norms, as they opened for the first time amidst the extended lockdown. In Delhi, serpentine queues were seen outside shops, even as the government imposed 70% extra tax dubbed as “special corona fees” – on the sale of alcohol. Several other states also imposed taxes in an effort to avoid large crowds, all in vain.
On May 1, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had eased lockdown restrictions with classifications of districts into red, orange and green zones. The sale of liquor and tobacco products were further allowed in some areas after ensuring a minimum six-feet physical distancing. Under the new system, a person can get an e-token by registering on the state excise departments portal and then go to the shop to buy the liquor.
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