On Monday night, there was a lot of hope when Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope announced that liquor shops would stay open if people practiced social distancing.
Tope’s response was on a Facebook live video on Monday night, but it is imperative to know that the views were his alone, and not of the state government.
Free Press Journal’s Sanjay Jog spoke to the excise department, who confirmed that the views were Tope’s alone. To get permission to have alcohol, there needs to be a detailed discussion with the excise department, as well as permissions from the state government before wine shops are open to public.
Mumbai district collector Rajeev Nivatkar also issued a statement saying that liquor shops will remain closed till May 3
The Central government while imposing lockdown 2.0 guidelines said states can enhance lockdown curbs but cannot relax them. The Centre has also been seeking opinion of the state law and judiciary department whether it can allow liquor sale and reopening of shops.
On Monday, Tope took to Twitter and said, "Although the liquor shops are not included in the discontinued list from Lockdown, a final decision will be announced only after tightening the rules."
Sources told Free Press Journal that in case a decision is taken, it will be implemented by the district collectors who enjoy major powers now under the Disaster Management Act 2005 and the Epidemic Act 1897.
In fact, last week a senior bureaucrat told FPJ, “The matter had come for discussion in the first week of April, but the government has decided not to allow liquor sale as of now to avoid a backlash. It is true that the government has received representations from liquor and alcohol manufacturers and also from the wine shop owners in this regard.’’ However, the majority of ministers in the state cabinet are not in favour of resumption of liquor sale in the lockdown.
It’s not just that: even when there isn’t a lockdown, crowds that throng outside a wine shop tend to get out of hand. With the hustling and jostling, there have been arguments. However, this is the first time wine shops will be open since the past month. With people running out of ‘their stock’, it’s highly likely that all social distancing norms will be broken, as everyone will want to get their first bottle of booze. With people breaking norms outside grocery stores, we only shudder to think what could happen outside a liquor store.
A fortnight ago, the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) has written to Uddhav Thackeray requesting him to give the go-ahead in resuming their businesses. These include the reopening of wine shops and distilleries, given the amount in taxes alcohol gives the state.
