The Maharashtra government will start the home delivery of liquor from May 15, amid the coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown. Earlier, it was supposed to start from May 14 but the local administration had asked for a one-day deferment for the medical examination of the delivery persons and issuance of identity cards to them.
It is noteworthy that the Maharashtra government on May 13 allowed the home delivery of liquor to prevent long queues at the liquor shops. The home delivery of liquor will be done in only those districts where there is already an exemption to sell liquor in liquor shops. There will be no home delivery of liquor in many districts including Mumbai and Nagpur.
The Maharashtra Excise Department will keep a strict vigil on home delivery of liquor across the state and ensure that the social distancing norms are fully followed. The Excise Department has also decided to start an online token system on a pilot basis for the sale of liquor in select cities, including Pune and Nashik, to avoid huge crowding at shops.
The move comes after huge crowd assembled in large numbers outside liquor shops across the state last week, flouting the social distancing norms to contain the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
Under the new system, a person can get a token by registering on the state excise department portal and then go to the shop to buy liquor. Only those who get the token can go to the shop and buy liquor. The move is expected to help in preventing long queues of people outside liquor shops. The state government plans to issue a limited number of tokens for liquor sale to avoid crowding on streets.
The system will be started on a pilot basis in Pune first and, if found successful, it will be replicated in other parts of the state.
The Supreme Court on May 8 left it open for states to consider online sales and home delivery of liquor during the COVID-19 lockdown period to facilitate social distancing. Dismissing a plea challenging a government circular of May 1 allowing the sale of liquor through direct contact sales during the lockdown, a three-judge SC Bench left it to the discretion of the State governments to provide a mechanism for online buying and home delivery of liquor.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had on May 1 had declared a “limited” lockdown which classifications of districts into ‘Red’, ‘Orange’ and ‘Green’ zones based on COVID-19 risk-profiling. The sale of liquor and tobacco products were allowed in some areas after ensuring a minimum six-feet social distancing.
