It was a sigh of relief for the boozers when after a wait of almost two months; the city witnessed the functioning of the liquor shops. Pertaining to the lockdown imposed due to coronavirus, the liquor shops went cold. Finally on Tuesday, the 29 liquor shops of urban and rural areas of the city was opened by excise department.
Experiencing much negotiation between liquor contractors and the state government, opening of few of the urban and rural liquor were signaled green. Being on alert of the flocks of tipplers gathering outside the shops, sufficient arrangements were made by the Excise Department to follow the social distancing and control the crowd.
The operation of 29 shops in rural and urban areas was started by the officers and employees of the State Excise Department.
Not to be mentioned, there was a long discussion between the liquor contractor and the government for opening the shops in the city, but the liquor contractors were still not in favor of opening the shops. After the court's decision, the liquor contractors decided not to operate liquor shops, yet the Excise Department nodded for their functioning. Assistant Excise Commissioner Raj Narayan Soni visited the shops to review the arrangements made at the shops and also gave few directives to the officers.
