Chhattisgarh residents placed orders for home delivery of liquor worth Rs 4.32 crore till 5 pm today after the state government gave a go-ahead for home delivery at a time when stores are shut due to the lockdown to stem the Covid surge.
As many as 29,000 customers placed orders for home delivery of liquor -- an average order of Rs 1,483 placed by each customer.
An order issued by the state commercial taxes department to the excise commissioner in this regard on Saturday came into effect on Monday.
Officials have said the move is aimed at curbing illegal manufacture, sale, transport and possession of liquor during the lockdown.
The home delivery of liquor will be done from 9 am to 8 pm. Twenty-four centres have been set up in state capital Raipur to facilitate online booking for home delivery.
The Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) will decide which shops will provide the home delivery service and customers will have to make the payment in advance while placing the order. The orders can be placed through the CSMCL mobile app.
As per the orders, customers can order up to five litres of liquor at a time and Rs 100 will be charged for the home delivery service available within 15 km of the shop.
The Opposition BJP has criticised the state government over the move, saying the government is focusing on liquor delivery instead of prioritising the treatment of people during the pandemic.
Responding to the criticism, state Excise Minister Kawasi Lakhma said the decision to start home delivery of liquor was taken following instances of illegal sale of liquor and deaths after consumption of sanitisers and alcohol-based medicines as a substitute.
The Chhattisgarh government has imposed a strict lockdown in the state to check the surge in Covid cases. The state on Monday reported 9,120 new cases and 189 deaths over the past 24 hours.
Besides Chhattisgarh, governments in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Punjab have allowed home delivery of liquor amid the restrictions in place.
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