People hoping to buy alcohol queue outside a store in pune. (Express photo by Pavan Khengre)

Hundreds of tipplers in Pune district had to return home disappointed on Monday with no formal order coming from the district administration on reopening of stores despite Maharashtra government allowing the sale of alcohol.

Buoyed by the news of the opening of liquor shops almost six weeks after their closure on March 20, hundreds of tipplers had queued outside several wine shops in the city since early morning. However, the wine shops (which generally open at 10 am) remained closed with, in some places, owners showing up to tell the gathered prospective customers that they were unable to open the shop until they receive a written order from the District Collector via the State Excise Department.

“We are hoping that the order will come today. But it hasn’t yet been issued and until that happens we will not be able to up the shutters,” said Pravin Agarwal, a manager at A Zone Wine Shop on Bhandarkar Road where over 150 customers had queued up on Monday morning.

Customers were told to leave as store owners are yet to receive formal orders from district administration. (Express photo by Pavan Khengre)

Ramesh Inamdar, a customer in his late 50s, said that he had queued up since 8.30 am. “They should open the liquor shops at the soonest. We will buy liquor and drink at home in peace. The government will get the much-needed revenue,” he said.

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Queues were seen at almost every wine shop in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and suburbs in the morning. At GSP Wine Shop on ITI Road in Aundh, over a 100 persons had gathered to buy liquor. The police dispersed the crowd telling them that the liquor shops were not going to open.

Similar situation was noticed in Undri, Tilak Road, Baner, Sinhagad Road, Bibwewadi between 10 am to 12 noon.

Police dispersing the crowd outside a liquor store. (Express photo by Pavan Khengre)

Revised guidelines issued by State Government for the lockdown period between May 4 and May 17 had indicated that liquor shops in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Mumbai – which have strictest restrictions in the state – could remain open in areas outside the containment zones fixed by the local municipal corporations. Pune District Collector Naval Kishore Ram had on Sunday said that he will permit the sale of liquor outside the containment zones in the district.