Coronavirus lockdown: Assam's IMFL, country spirit shops to reopen from Monday

Prabin Kalita | TNN | Apr 12, 2020, 21:18 IST

Image used for representational purpose only.

GUWAHATI: To get the state’s revenues rolling again after nearly three weeks of pause due to the national lockdown against Covid-19 pandemic, Assam excise department on Sunday ordered re-opening of the all Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and country spirit shops from Monday on the permitted days with bare minimum staff and strict maintenance of social distancing. Bars and restaurants serving liquour, however, will remain closed.
Liquour wholesale warehouses, bottling plants, distilleries and breweries also have been permitted to re-open from Monday, the excise department order states.
Excise revenue is an important part of the state’s total tax receipts. According to budget documents, the state earned Rs 1800 crore as excise duty from sale of liquour in 2019-20. An official said, “Moreover, our neighbor, Meghalaya is also reopening all its liquor shops from Monday and if the wine shops are closed in Assam, people will go to Meghalaya to buy their stock the state’s share of revenue will be shifted to Meghalaya.”
The IMFL and country spirit shops will be allowed to keep open from 10 am to 5 pm only and the shops will have to provide hand sanitizers to customers and staff while handling cash and liquour bottles. To avoid overcrowding at one shop, its staff will have to re-direct the excess customers to nearby wine shops.