As Assam & Meghalaya resume sale of liquor; more states might follow soon

GUWAHATI: As Assam & Meghalaya resume sale of liquor, more states might follow soon.

There might be some ease in liquor sales in other states to raise revenue, claim reports.

Bootleggers have defied lockdown to smuggle into Delhi-NCR area. A sanitation worker has misused his pass; a vegetable vendor carried liquor bottles and covered them with vegetables at the top; liquor was even brought into the region in milk gallons, claim reports.

Police in the region have filed 60 cases under Excise Act since March 25.

Meanwhile, suicide in Kerala increased in last couple of days due to unavailability of liquor for the current lockdown, as Health officials have claimed. Like other states in the country, total prohibition on sale of liquor has been imposed in Kerala, too, on account of the on-going nationwide lockdown, which ends on April 14,2020. But five people, who were identified by doctors as liquor addicted, committed suicide in the first five days of the lockdown.

Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja said to media that the facility of treatment for liquor addicts have been arranged at family health centres and primary health centres where psychiatrists are also available. “Our major government hospitals have been designated for COVID-19. Serious cases can be referred to district or taluk level hospitals and 20 beds have been set aside in each district for liquor addicts,” said the Health Minister.

Meghalaya Govt has ordered liquor to be home delivered amid lockdown.

According to an official order, “Meghalaya government has approved home delivery of liquor on health grounds strictly against medical prescriptions issued by the registered medical practitioner…Bonded warehouses may be allowed to sell and provide home delivery of liquor as a special case with immediate effect up to 14th April, 2020 (midnight) until further orders to customers who are 21 years old and above.”

Customers will have to log in and upload prescription for the delivery. The bonded warehouse will then have to get approval from the officer in charge to deliver the same to the customer fter all dues are cleared.

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