Liquor shops to close early in Lucknow

LUCKNOW: Liquor shops in Uttar Pradesh will now open from 10am to 9 pm. However, Lucknow will remain an exception with the district administration setting a deadline of 8.30pm for shops.
Liquor shops in the state had remained closed during the first two phases of the lockdown and were finally allowed to reopen on May 4. Operation time for the shops was 10 am to 7 pm. In an order issued on Monday, the government has allowed the shops to remain open for two more hours.
The order is applicable to retail shops selling country and foreign liquor, beer and bhang, model shops, CSD canteens holding FL 9 and 9A licenses and wholesale shops.
The liquor association has welcomed the move, saying it will help in increasing sales. However, association secretary Kanhaiya Lal Maurya said that they will request the government to allow shops to remain open till 10 pm after June 8 which is when restaurants will be allowed to start operations.
"Two additional hours will make a huge difference to our sales, especially since majority of sales take place in the evening and night hours. Lucknow liquor vends will shut half an hour earlier, but we hope that the order is revised in the coming days," he said. Liquor shops are finally stocked after initially running out of several brands. However, there continues to remain a shortage of light beer which Maurya said would be addressed in about a week or 10 days.