Liquor to be sold today in Dharwad

TNN | May 4, 2020, 04:04 IST

Barricades being put up near a retail liquor shop in Dharwad, to avoid crowding

Dharwad: Dharwad district will see several relaxations in the lockdown, for four days from Monday. The district is in the orange zone, and all the financial activities permitted in the orange zone will commence from Monday.
Since Hubballi has two containment areas, the city has not been considered for relaxations in the lockdown, that are given to other parts of the district.
The state government has allowed the sale of liquor by retail shops run by CL2 licence holders and MSIL outlets from Monday, subject to certain conditions. Liquor shop owners were busy making preparations to comply with the restrictions on Sunday. There are 87 retail liquor outlets in Dharwad. In Hubballi, only five liquor outlets will be allowed to open. Sale of liquor will be permitted from 9 am to 7 pm. The excise department has directed retail liquor shop owners to ensure that a maximum of five people are allowed inside a shop at a time, and that customers wear masks and stand in queue, maintaining a distance of six feet from each other. Each customer will be given a maximum of 2.3 litres of liquor at a time. The shopowners should put up barricades to ensure that customers enter from one point, and exit from another point. CCTV cameras should be installed to monitor liquor shops, and their footage should be made available to police or excise officials on demand.
Dharwad Liquor Dealers’ Associaiton president Jeevan Shetty said that the shopkeepers should ensure that discipline is maintained, and that the police should assist in case of emergencies. The excise department has appointed one guard for every five shops.
DC Deepa Cholan said apart from this farming, industries, construction work, road works and commercial activities have been allowed to start in the district, except in Hubballi. The district administration and Hubballi-Dharwad police have extended the prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Cr PC till May 17. The National Highways Authority of India resumed widening the road near the Old SP’s Office Circle in Dharwad, on Saturday.
District minister Jagadish Shettar said all the industries in the district, except in Hubballi, producing essential commodities and related to essential services, will be allowed to start their units, but by following safety norms. They have to use only 50 per cent of the workforce, and ensure that the workers are provided food, shelter and other facilities. The joint director of industries will monitor these establishments.