Time curbs end, booze shops in Gurugram can stay open till midnight

GURUGRAM: Tipplers in the city will not have to worry about time limits for purchasing alcohol as liquor vends will remain open till midnight from Sunday.
The excise department has removed the time restrictions for liquor shops allowing them to operate from 9am to 12am as approved in the state excise policy.

Soon after the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 25 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the state government had directed liquor shops to temporarily suspend operations from March 26. The shops reopened from May 6 with the announcement of Unlock 1.0, but the operating time was restricted from 7am to 7pm.
Officials at the excise department said that all the shops selling liquor in the city have resumed operations except those located in shopping malls. “The liquor industry has suffered a huge loss and it will take at least two to three years to recover from the impact,” said an owner of a liquor shop. He said that sales have picked up to around 60% of the pre-lockdown level.
Aruna Singh, deputy excise and taxation commissioner (East), said, following the MHA guidelines for Unlock 3.0 which ended the night curfew, the department has decided to allow liquor shops to function according to the earlier timings starting Sunday.
“Now all such shops will operate according to pre-lockdown timings,” said Singh adding that liquor sales have come down but they hope that the numbers will see uptick gradually. Even though the timings have been changed social distancing norms and other precautions will have to be followed by the shops, she added.
Meanwhile, shop owners hailed the latest decision and expect a boost in sales following the move. “The increase in timing is expected to increase sales,” said a shop owner adding that a sizable chunk of the day’s sale happens during the post-evening period.
“Till now due to time constraints we were losing customers. Now, the restoration of original timings is expected to translate to increase in sales,” added another owner.
The closure of shops and time restrictions had not only impacted liquor sales but had also led to rise in bootlegging. In June, Gurugram police had arrested two people for home delivery of liquor. Notably, home delivery of liquor in the state is prohibited.
During the lockdown many were also duped by online fraudsters on the pretext of home delivery of liquor. The accused were operating from Malibu Town in Gurugram and were taking orders for home delivery of liquor through WhatsApp and Instagram.