Maharashtra govt permits home delivery of liquor amid nationwide lockdown, read order

The Maharashtra government in a major move has allowed the home delivery of Indian-made foreign liquor- spirits, beer, mild liquors, and wines. Even though the liquor shops were permitted to open in the third phase of the nationwide lockdown, they were closed down in many cities such as Mumbai after social distancing norms were violated. As per the order dated May 11, the government has stipulated certain conditions such as compulsory usage of masks and hand sanitizers by the persons deployed for delivery of liquor.

Moreover, the sale and home delivery of liquor shall take place on the specified days and hours. The home delivery will be allowed only if the permit holder places an order for the sale of the concerned liquor. This order is applicable until the lockdown measures are in place in the state. At the same time, the Maharashtra government has clarified that this order can be modified or rescinded at any time. 

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The novel coronavirus crisis

After 1230 new novel coronavirus cases were reported on Monday, May 11, Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally surged to 23,401. With 14,521 cases and 528 deaths, Mumbai remains a major COVID-19 hotspot in the state. Meanwhile, a record 587 patients were discharged in the day taking the total number of recovered to 4,786. 36 casualties- 20 from Pune, 5 from Solapur, 3 from Pune, 2 from Thane and one each from Amaravati, Aurangabad, Nanded, Wardha, and Ratnagiri were recorded on Monday. 27 of the deceased patients had high-risk co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, etc. So far, 868 individuals have passed away due to COVID-19 in Maharashtra. 

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In the virtual meeting with PM Modi on Monday, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray requested the deployment of central police forces in the state to reduce the burden on the police. He also sought the RBI's intervention to ensure that the farmers in Vidarbha can get crop loans. Revealing that the nationwide lockdown had caused a loss of Rs.35,000 crore to the state's finances, he stressed the need for the state to get its full share of devolution of Central taxes and GST refund at the earliest. 

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