Home delivery of liquor in Odisha from Sunday

BHUBANESWAR: Home delivery of liquor will be available in Odisha from Sunday, the government said on Saturday. However, there will be no across the counter sale now.
The buyers, however, have to shell out more compared to the pre-lockdown prices, as the government introduced a "Special Covid Fee" and increased the maximum retail prices (MRPs) of all types of foreign liquor and beer by 50% of the MRPs of 2019-20. Besides, they will have to pay a delivery charge of Rs 100 to Rs 300.
"The additional revenue from Covid Fee will go towards meeting the expenses being incurred by state government in treatment of Covid-19 patients and other related activities," a statement issued by the excise department said.
The government statement said the home delivery of liquor can be taken up by retailers directly and also through reputed food aggregators, standard technology platforms and delivery service providers acting as retail aggregators. The liquor outlets will prominently display their phone/mobile/whatsapp no./email id/UPI details for receiving the orders and facilitating digital payments outside their shop, it said.
The orders for home delivery of liquor can be received by the retailers over phone or through SMS, whatsapp, email etc. Retailers have to ensure that there is no crowding in front of their shops.
The food aggregators, standard technology platforms, delivery service providers acting as retail aggregators for the purpose of home delivery of liquor can be engaged by retailers after they take NOC (No Objection Certificate) from Excise Commissioner, Odisha. The list of agencies granted NOC by the Excise Commissioner will be published in the website of Odisha State Beverage Corporation (OSBC).
The excise commissioner has been authorised to decide on the rates for delivery charges from time to time. The ceiling notified by him at present is Rs 100 for orders up to Rs 1000 and thereafter Rs 25 for every additional Rs 500 order value. In no case the delivery charge will exceed Rs 300. The Aggregators can fix their own rates subject to above ceiling.
The government said the normal timing for home delivery would be between 7 AM to 6 PM. Orders are expected to be delivered within 6 hours. The retailers and other agencies involved in home delivery have to abide by the legal provisions of maximum quantity of liquor which can be transported in each delivery. They will also have to develop appropriate mechanism to enforce legal age of drinking and other restrictions imposed by law in the state.