After days of waiting, some states have finally allowed liquor shops to open. This comes as a relief to tipplers. While many states have permitted operations without restrictions, there are some states that have partially allowed the flow of liquor in their state.
During this COVID-19-induced-lockdown, with other state-level income taking a hit, some states have decided to depend on liquor for their revenues. This move has prompted states where alcohol is banned like Bihar and Gujarat to mull over allowing consumption of alcohol to make that extra buck. In other words, use that money to manage state expenses. Meanwhile, there is Andhra Pradesh (AP) which took a moral position on this issue. While it allowed liquor shops to function, it said it will not opt for home delivery of alcohol as it is against CM Jagan Reddy’s manifesto promise of reducing alcohol dependency in the state. Surprisingly, AP is one of the few states that hiked 70 per cent tax over MRP for alcohol.
Find out which states are allowing liquor shops to function, encouraging online delivery at the same time levying extra taxes:
