The Maharashtra government on Tuesday allowed home delivery of liquor to avoid crowding at shops amid the lockdown.
However, the order, issued by the Home Department, will come into effect only after guidelines are finalised in the next couple of days, said a senior official. Only those who have a permit for drinking can order home delivery. Liquor shops which have been allowed to reopen since May 5 will be able to take orders on phone, he said.
The decision comes in the wake of crowding outside liquor outlets when they opened early last week following relaxations in lockdown norms.
“The mode of payment has to be decided by the buyer and the seller. A person can order up to 12 IMFL bottles,” the official said.
Asked about how long this provision would continue in the state, the IAS officer said, “[The] order is valid only till the lockdown period is in force because social gathering is prohibited.”
Another IAS officer said, The service will continue to operate on the lines of e-commerce platforms like Amazon where there will be some delivery charges.
Shop owners will have to take sanitisation and other precautionary measures for staff at regular intervals, the second officer said. If a buyer does not have purchase permit then a one-day permit can be obtained from the shop owner with standard charges, said the officer, adding every shop will have a limited geographical area of operation.
