Alcohol
Janta was desperately waiting for the liquor shops to open. Although the liquor stores and bars were closed but alcohol lovers were still getting their supplies through the backdoor. Throughout the lockdown, only businesses considered to be essential were open such as banks, medical stores and grocery shops. Liquor sales was also completely banned. On Monday, a wider assortment of business was given permission to be reopened.
Liquor Shops Reopened
40 days into the lockdown alcohol was not openly available which created a lot of ruckus amongst the people, but the current move by the government to relax liquor sales have ease out impatient booze fan. The latest rules issued by the home ministry states that the sale of tobacco, alcohol, paan will only be allowed if the people ensure social distancing of minimum 6 feet and maximum of 5 people will be allowed at a time in a shop. The liquor agencies also have to make sure that the norms are followed. They also had to provide an undertaking to fulfill all the condition as suggested by the Home Ministers.
Police had to commence Lathi Charge due to massive crowd gathering
The irony, however, is that on Monday morning, early in the morning, large crowds were spotted assembled outside the booze stores. People failed to maintain the social distancing norms. Some individuals neglected to wear the mask because they were in a hurry to purchase alcohol. Desperate buyers were seen falling on each other to buy the tipple, which enforced the police to commence lathi charge to disappear the crowd in few places and the liquor stores had to be closed momentarily.
The crowd wanted to purchase the liquor in bulk to stock up their home. Liquor also plays an important to generate a lot of revenue by the government. There was also a tremendous pressure to reopen the shops in all Covid 19 zones whether red, orange and green.
Shopkeepers are advised to maintain Social Distancing
Around 200 customers rushed their way into the arena in Old Delhi, a crowded neighbourhood near the Red Fort. The police had to exercise the bamboo truncheons to disperse the crowd. The Delhi Police had suggested to AAP Government and scrabbled a report to extend the timing for alcohol sale and shop keepers to preserve enough stocks to avoid huge crowding.
The shopkeepers are advised to maintain social distancing at any cost to avoid the danger of contamination. The horde of irritated and edgy boozers in twisting long queues extending up to 3 km – shoved and hauled at each other to purchase their desired brands, in total disobedience of social distancing rules. As 150 of the Delhi’s 859 liquor stores reopened in few areas since the lockdown was commenced, there was a livid haste elicited traffic commotion, police intervention, political altercation and qualms of a spear in the transmission of the pandemic.
Shops will be sealed again – if norms are not followed
Dr. Harsh Vardhan – health minister of the country stated that Delhi Government was still in red zone and the Delhi Government hurried into reopening the alcohol stores. This can also induce the danger of spreading of the Covid 19. As per him, the Delhi Government should analyze its decision considering the fact that mass gathering outside these stores.
Although The Delhi government and The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had instructed that masks and social distancing has to be maintained all the time by the buyers. And only 5 people are permissible to wait outside a shop. Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, described the mess as awful and said store owners would be held accountable. “If social distancing is breached, the shop will remain shut, sealed and the relaxation will be annulled.
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