State Govts amend laws, online sale to stop recurrence of chaos seen 3 days
Several State Governments, including Chhattisgarh, Punjab and West Bengal, have decided to allow home delivery of liquor via the online sale to avoid the chaos witnessed in front of liquor shops during the last three days.
Officials said the Punjab Government has allowed amendment in the Excise Act in order to allow home delivery of liquor in a bid to ensure that social distancing norms are not violated amid curfew and Covid-19 lockdown. Punjab generates Rs 6,000 crore annually from liquor.
Similarly, the Mamta Banerjee Government has allowed amendments in the State Excise Act, permitting home delivery of liquor. Bengal gets Rs 11,000 crore revenue from liquor sale every year.
The Chhattisgarh Government has set up Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited to deliver liquor at home in green zones. A customer can order up to 5,000 ml of liquor at a time for home delivery and the delivery charge will be Rs 120,” the release stated. Except Raipur and Korba districts, the remaining 26 districts of the State are in green zones.
According to a survey by Local Circles, a social media and community platform, around 52 per cent consumers want liquor to be delivered at home in red zones.
The Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies director general Vinod Giri urged the State Governments to give permission for token system through which liquor can be sold and it will also be better crowd management.