Lockdown extension: Chhattisgarh to introduce home delivery of liquor

RAIPUR: Opening liquor shops after lockdown from Monday, Chhattisgarh government is going ahead to introduce home delivery of liquor and allowing maximum retail sale of liquor up to five litres per person for maintaining ‘social distancing’ and avoiding crowd at liquor outlets.
An order issued by the excise department said; "Delivery boys have to be deployed for the purpose of liquor delivery and they could be engaged through placement agencies.The rates for delivering liquor would be finalised after obtaining the lowest rate from the manpower placement agencies."
As per the order, liquor shops will be open from Monday from 8 AM to 7 PM. However, respective collectors can also decide the time of opening of shops according the situation in the district.
Liquor shops in Chhattisgarh were closed since March 23 following the national lockdown to fight spread of Covid-19. Now while opening the liquor shops from May four, the excise department has also decided to enhance the purchase limit of foreign and country made liquor to 3000 ML and up to six quartz bottles for malt variety of liquor. However, a single customer would not be able to purchase more than 5000 ML liquor from the counter.
The excise department order sought to explain that these decisions were taken to ensure that the concept of social distancing is maintained and to avoid crowd at the liquor shops.
Many states, including Chhattisgarh, have been pressing for opening of retail liquor shops as sale of liquor is a major source of revenue of the state governments. The total revenue collection from alcohol sale is about rs 5000 crore every year.
Congress, which had promised total liquor prohibition in the party’s manifesto for the December 2018 elections, hardly altered the liquor policy of the previous government—though the opposition parties have been questioning the government about its promise during the last one and half years.
Reacting the decisions on liquor, Chhattisgarh Janata Congress president Amit Jogi took a dig and tweeted “ Bhupesh Baghel government’s gift to the people—Home delivery of liquor and people will be able to purchase upto five litres. Thank you”