Chhattisgarh govt issues order over opening of liquor shops; excise dept's letter accessed

The Chhattisgarh government on Friday has issued orders to open the liquor shops in the state, contrary to the guidelines of the national lockdown. According to sources, a four-member team has been formed to operate the liquor shops during the lockdown. Further, the Special Secretary of the Excise Department has issued a letter in this regard. 

About the decision:

In the letter, it has been mentioned that due to the non-availability of alcohol, several people in the state have died due to the use of illegal alcohol, or attempted suicide for not getting alcohol due to withdrawal symptoms. Further, several cases of stealing of alcohol have also been reported, the letter stated. Meanwhile, nine cases of Coronavirus have been reported in the state, out of which three have been reported to be recovered. 

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India under lockdown

On March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight of March 25 to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. The 21-day curfew is applicable to all states, districts, and villages - irrespective of whether they were earlier under curfew or not.

As per the latest figures, there are over 2060 coronavirus positive cases in India. While 53 deaths have been reported overall, 156 people have also been cured/discharged/migrated.

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