Tipplers queue up as liquor shops reopen in Puducherry after 2 months

After two months of closure due to COVID-19 lockdown, liquor shops reopened in parts of  union territory on Monday with tipplers erly waiting in long queues to get ir favourite booze. As wine shops here and Karaikal region opened  shutters, at several places owners performed poojas, broke coconuts and burnt camphor in front of ir outlets for good business.

Earlier, Excise Department issued an order allowing resumption of business after Lt Goverr Kiran Bedi approved a COVID-19 special excise duty on all varieties of liquor, revenue from sale of which h been a major source of income for UT for deces. 

special excise duty has been imposed as Bedi was keen price of liquor in UT be brought on par with that of in Tamil Nu in a bid to avert influx of people from  neighbouring state which may pose a risk of infection. Puducherry is latest to allow liquor sales since various lockdown relaxations came into force during fourth phase.

Serpentine queues were seen outside shops at least half an hour before commencement of sales at 10 a.m. Special barrices were erected outside shops to regulate crowd while thrust was on strict herence to social distancing rms and wearing of face masks. It was a mix of young and old people as booze-lovers lined up to get ir hands on liquor bottles braving  summer heat.

A tippler expressed relief at being able to get liquor after so long, ding he h suffered some issues due to n-availability of it during lockdown. "I mand it through stong willpower. I am happy w to get my quota w," man said. But move to reopen liquor shops has t gone down well with several ors.

A woman who works as a domestic help is worried that her husband, who underwent treatment for problems due to diction to liquor, might resume taking alcohol. "I am worried that he would resume taking liquor to  detriment of his health besides frittering away hard- earned income," she said.

government has permitted shops to do business from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. As of w, Mahe and Yanam regions (enclaves of Puducherry in Kerala and Andhra Presh respectively) have t t been granted permission to reopen shops as ministration is closely watching development in neighbouring states re.

union territory government is said to have suffered a loss of around Rs 80 crores in excise sector per month during  lockdown and this h dried up its coffers.  V Narayanasamy-led Congress government has been at loggerhes with Lt Goverr Bedi over various issues. But, it accepted her proposal to sell liquor at a price on par with Tamil Nu.

"If our pricing is less than Tamilnu's, it will possibly open floodgates for customers to rush here from neighbouring states and it will be a risky scenario particularly in current context of pandemic," PWD and Excise Minister A Namassivayam h told PTI on Sunday.