Liquor shop owners are now demanding that the fees of owning liquor selling licence be reduced as the sales have fallen. Several liquor shops were closed within a week of their reopening on Wednesday.
The state government and excise department had issued orders that all licenced shops of the district may reopen from May 6 for 12 hours from 7 am-7 pm. Most of these shops were shut down recently. The liquor contractors said that customers are not arriving at the shops to purchase liquor.
To avoid financial loss, the contractors have asked the government to reduce the licence fees. They have even shut down their shops and stopped selling liquor.
The administration has also announced a total lockdown till May 17 as five new cases of coronavirus have been detected in Jhabua. All markets were closed, including all 33 liquor shops.
Liquor sales in Jhabua amount to Rs 200 crores per annum. The contractors are in no mood to reopen their shops as very few customers are buying alcohol amid the lockdown. The government has estimated a revenue of about Rs 197 crore from Jhabua, but the reduction in fees may result in loss to the government.
