Lockdown 3.0: Standalone liquor shops open in Pune after 44 days

Neha Madaan | TNN | May 4, 2020, 16:47 IST

People wait for their turn to buy liquor outside a shop in Pune

PUNE: After 44 days of having gone dry of tipple, resumption of liquor sales in Pune district (excluding containment zones) was allowed by Pune district collector Naval Kishore Ram on Monday.
The collector passed an order on Monday allowing liquor sales in non-containment areas in Pune, PCMC as well as rural parts of Pune, including opening of wine shops, resumption of liquor manufacturing as well as distribution in such areas--but with social distancing norms, and other standard operating procedures.
The PMC, in an order issued on on Sunday, had identified 69 micro-containment zones in Pune Metropolitan Region, where liquor shops still cannot open. The district collector's order further said shops in market complexes, markets and malls in PMC and PCMC areas and municipalities will remain closed.
The order said that standalone liquor (single) shops, neighborhood (colony) liquor shops and liquor shops in residential complexes are permitted to remain open in PMC and PCMC, excluding containment zones. However, in areas under Pune Municipal Corporation, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, if there are more than five shops in a lane/road, then besides all shops selling essential goods, up to a maximum of 5 shops selling non-essential goods in that lane/road will be permitted to remain open.
Moreover, liquor shops will have to ensure that not more than five customers stand next to the wine shop, while there should be a mandatory distance of 6 feet between each customer. The operational hours for wine shops in Pune district have also been restricted to 10am to 6pm, while thermal scanning of employees of wine shops as well as the customers will also have to be followed.
Meanwhile, a huge rush of tipplers outside liquor shops was witnessed on Monday, even before wine shops had opened. Wine shops began opening shutters by 1.30pm, when an official order was issued by the collector.
Over 150 persons had already visited a wine shop on Bhandarkar Road since 7am as per rough estimates from a watchman of a building. Many said that they had been told that shop would open on Monday.