Liquor sale: Ytl goes on-off; from Fri in Amt rural

Yavatmal/Amravati: Hopes of thousands of tipplers of getting their regular quota of booze from Wednesday were short-lived as Yavatmal district administration, which had allowed sale of liquor between 8am and 12 noon in all 16 tehsils barring Yavatmal municipal council limits, reversed the decision within hours.
In the neighbouring Amravati district, collector Shailesh Naval has okayed reopening of liquor shops in rural parts, outside the containment area, from Friday. Both districts are in the Red Zone.
Taking note of a Covid positive patient being reported from Ner municipal council area, the administration re-imposed the ban on sale of liquor in entire district through a fresh notification issued in the evening.
Earlier in the day, chaotic scenes and violation of social distancing norms were witnessed as a large number of people thronged a liquor shop in Wani, the only one which opened for business on Wednesday morning. The shop on Sujata Talkies premises saw brisk business. There was heavy rush of tipplers, many of whom bought maximum quantity of liquor allowed. Police personnel were deployed to control the crowd.
Several persons had to return empty-handed as the shop was allowed to operate till 12 noon only.
Booze lovers in Amravati will, however, have to wait as the administration has decided to allow reopening of wine shops only after owners comply with the rules and conditions laid down by the state excise department.
Reacting to allowing sale of liquor in rural parts only, Nitin Mohod, president of Amravati District Permit Room & Bar Association, demanded that besides wine shops, permit rooms should also be allowed to sale sealed bottles at MRP.
“There are only 13 wine shops in the rural belt and there is a possibility of people making heavy rush as citizens here too are likely to crowd rural shops. If permit rooms are allowed to sell sealed bottles at MRP, this rush can be decentralized as there are 300 bars and permit rooms in the district. This way social distancing can also be ensured,” he argued.
To control crowding, administration has asked shop owners to erect barricades in front of the shops. The shops will operate between 8am and 3pm and entertain 350 customers a day, who will have to fill up a form and get a coupon first.
Naval also announced certain relaxations to businesses in the city. Keeping the main city markets closed, he has permitted single shops, colony shops and shops in lanes to open between 7am and 3pm from Thursday. Banks will be allowed to function between 9am and 3pm.
However, this concession will not be offered to areas under containment zones, he clarified.
Naval said that irrespective of the concessions, all shops and businesses in the district shall remain shut from 3pm of Saturday to 7am of Monday as part of janata curfew.