Odisha allows home delivery of liquor; introduces 'Special Covid Fee' with new guidelines

The Odisha government on Saturday announced that the home delivery of liquor will begin in the state from tomorrow. However, the government has significantly increased the price of liquor and fixed timing for availing home delivery. The state's Excise Department announced that the state government has allowed home delivery of liquor by the existing ON & OFF shop licensees of IMFL & Beer situated in areas other than containment zones and shopping malls w.e.f. May 24, 2020, by amending the relevant provisions under Odisha Excise Rules, 2017.

The state government has also increased the maximum retail prices of all types of foreign liquor and beer by 50 per cent of the MRPs prevailing last year (2019-2020), the excise department said today. 

READ: Mumbai hits new highs with 1751 COVID-19 cases, city tally at 27068 as liquor sale resume

'Special COVID Fee'

The government also introduced a “Special COVID Fee” and increased the MRPs of all types of foreign liquor and beer by 50%. As far as delivery charges are concerned, Rs 100 will be charged for orders up to Rs 1000 and thereafter, Rs 25 will be charged for every additional Rs 500 order value. The delivery charge will exceed Rs 300.

Home delivery of liquor can be taken up by retailers directly and also through reputed food aggregators, standard technology platforms, delivery service providers etc. acting as retail aggregators.  Normal timing for home delivery would be between 7 am to 6 pm and orders are expected to be delivered within 6 hours.

READ: Mumbai: BMC sets conditions on liquor sale; home delivery in non-containment zones allowed

Meanwhile, at least 80 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha, taking the total number of such cases in the state to 1,269, a health department official said on Saturday. Of the new patients, 71 were reported from quarantine centres in various parts of the state. Two were in-home quarantine and seven others were found to have been infected with the virus as part of ongoing contact-tracing exercise, the official said. The new cases were reported from 13 districts.

READ: Mumbai: Liquor home delivery allowed in non-containment zones

READ: Zomato & Swiggy start home delivery of liquor in Jharkhand; speaking to other states too