After ‘corona fee’, long queues back outside Delhi liquor shops

A snaking queue was seen outside a liquor shop in Chander Nagar area of the national capital. A man was even seen showering flower petals on people waiting to buy alcohol.

People thronged liquor shops in Delhi once again on Tuesday a day after the government imposed a 70% “special corona fee” on the sale of alcohol on maximum retail price.

People queued outside a liquor shop in New Kondli, Mayur Vihar Phase III as police forcibly close the shop to maintain law and order, in New Delhi. (Mohd Zakir/ Hindustan Times)

A snaking queue was seen outside a liquor shop in Chander Nagar area of the national capital. A man was even seen showering flower petals on people waiting to buy alcohol.

“You are the economy of our country... The government does not have any money,” the man wearing a mask was heard saying in the clip tweeted by news agency ANI.

And in Laxmi Nagar, people stood outside a liquor shop with their positions in the queue have been written on their hands.

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According to ANI, Vasant Vihar’s sub-divisional magistrate has issued a show-cause notice to the manager of the government wine and beer after a large number of people gathered at the shop violating social distancing norms on Monday.

The standalone liquor outlets had opened on Monday and the government was forced to close them after people jostled and violated the social distancing norms that have been in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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The Delhi government had allowed the opening of standalone liquor shops between 9am and 6.30pm, according to directives issued by the Union home ministry after the national lockdown was extended till May 17.