(Juhi Aishwary, Journalist)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to order on the petition filed for the closure of liquor shops. However, the court said that state governments may consider indirect sales such as online or home delivery. Explain that in this petition, there was a demand to order the closure of liquor shops. The petition had said that physical distance is being violated due to congestion; therefore, liquor shops should be banned from opening.
States have opened liquor contracts during a lockdown implemented nationwide due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). After this, there was a lot of concern on the liquor contracts, and then the states started taking different prescriptions for it so that the revenue would also increase and the people would get fewer problems. For this, at some places, home delivery has been arranged. Apart from this, the state is trying many other prescriptions including Corona Charge, e-Token.
– A scuffle took place between protesters and police, including CPI-M activists in Madurai. They were opposing the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to open liquor shops during the lockdown in the state.
A group of women staged a protest in Trichy against the state government’s order to open liquor shops in the state amid Corona virus lockdown in Tamil Nadu.
There was a huge crowd of people outside a liquor shop in Gol Market in Delhi. Police are removing people from here because the government has issued an e-token for this, now people are using this token. This decision was taken because of the crowd at the liquor shops so that the social distance remains.
In the Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh, ink is being applied on the finger of people who buy liquor. Giving this information, District Excise Officer Abhishek Tiwari said that it can be used to trace people shortly when needed. Apart from this, all customers are being asked to put their name, address and mobile number in the register kept at liquor shops. He further said that 50 liquor shops have been opened in the non-containment zone, but not much congestion has been seen.
Due to the lockdown, there was a long line when the liquor contracts opened after about 40 days. Physical distance was also severely violated. To avoid this, the home delivery facility was introduced in many states including Chhattisgarh. The E-Token facility has been introduced in Delhi.
There is a long line of people to take liquor in Krishna Nagar, Delhi. Some people have placed stones in their place in the line. At the same time, outside a liquor store in Vasant Vihar, people lined their places with helmets, bottles, bags, and sacks, etc. Outside the liquor store in Ashok Nagar, people are buying liquor through e-coupons.
Explain that after the lockdown was extended till May 17, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued new guidelines to allow liquor shops to open.