In corona times, Punjab to start online sale, home delivery of liquor from tomorrow

Cabinet, chaired by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, will meet on Thursday morning to approve the excise department’s initiative for starting online sale and delivery of liquor in Punjab

PATIALA: The Punjab excise department will start the online order and home delivery of liquor across the state from Thursday .

The decision was taken after seeing long queues and chaos outside liquor vends in others states and neighbouring Chandigarh. This way, the excise department, believes social distancing norms will be followed. (HT PHOTO)

The decision coincides with the opening of liquor vends in the state from 9am to 1pm on Thursday. The sale at the vends will be allowed only during the stipulated hours.

The cabinet, chaired by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, will put its stamp on the excise department’s order at its meeting on Thursday morning.

“We have completed all modalities related to starting the home delivery of liquor. We are hopeful that the department will get the green signal from state cabinet to go ahead with it,” said Navdeep Bhinder, Punjab’s additional excuse and taxation commissioner.

HOME DELIVERY ONLY DURING CURFEW

A senior official said the decision was taken after seeing long queues and chaos outside liquor vends in others states and neighbouring Chandigarh. “The department has come up with a better idea of home delivery,” he said.

“The approval from the cabinet is a mere formality. All prerequisites related to this move have already been completed as the state excise department has already directed deputy commissioners, excise officials and liquor vendors to go ahead with the plan,” an official said.

“The home delivery of liquor will also help to follow mandatory social distancing norms. Though there is no provision of home delivery in the Punjab Excise Act, but the decision has been taken temporarily in the wake of the situation arising due to Covid-19,” Bhinder said.

VENDORS NOT TO SELL MORE THAN 2LITRE/ORDER

The liquor vendors have been directed not to sell more than two litres of liquor per order.

“The stringent directions have been issued to vendors across the state regarding home delivery. They have to maintain the order book on a daily basis, while only two persons will be allowed to deliver liquor to customers per liquor vend,” Bhinder said.

The state is expected to earn a revenue of Rs 6,200 crore in the 2020-21 financial year. However, the sale of liquor is largely affected due to the countrywide lockdown, denting revenue figures of the excise department.

In the excise policy for the financial year 2020-21, this is for the first time that the department will experiment with the online sale and delivery of liquor despite criticism from opposition parties.