Unlike in many parts of the State where tipplers lined up in front of liquor shops well ahead of the opening hour to buy liquor, not a single soul was visible near liquor shops in Mangaluru before 9 a.m. on Monday when standalone shops opened their shutters.
However, people began to trickle in as the day progressed in some areas and lined up to buy liquor. The State government has allowed sale of liquor in CL2 (standalone wine shops) and CL11 (MSIL outlets) to mop up revenues as lockdown-3 commenced on Monday.
The owner of an MRP outlet in Valencia in the city who was arranging barricades in front of his shop early in the morning said that people didn’t line up early as they were aware that shops would remain open till 7 p.m.
Normal traffic
There was no mad rush of vehicles either on the roads when the relaxed lockdown began in the morning. However, vehicular density increased as the day progressed resembling pre-lockdown period, albeit without city buses. The district administration on Sunday had made it clear that though relaxation hours were extended till 7 p.m., it did not mean that people can come out and roam around. The relaxation was to facilitate economic activities that had come to a standstill during the first two phases of lockdown.
There was no let down in the number of police pickets as well as curbs on vehicular movement across the city.
Unlike huge crowds in front of grocery and vegetable shops in the relaxation hours during lockdown, no crowd was seen on Monday. A shopkeeper said that since people were sure that they could buy essential commodities at their convenience, the crowd was sparse.
