Liquor vends to open today amid strict norms

DEHRADUN: Over 40 days after being closed due to lockdown imposition owing to the Covid-19 outbreak,

liquor

vends in

Dehradun

and other districts will open on Monday amid strict guidelines and social distance norms. State

excise

commissioner Sushil Kumar told TOI that liquor vends would be opened in green, orange and red zones (excluding containment areas). “The liquor shops would be opened like any other commercial establishment and necessary instructions have been passed to all liquor vend owners in this regard.”


This year’s excise revenue target is Rs 3,600 crore which officials said may be difficult to achieve considering the losses they have suffered. The state has over 500 liquor vends and six exclusive high end wine shops.

Liquor industry insiders say that they have already suffered a loss of Rs 100 crore. "Given the market conditions due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the excise revenue collection is likely to come down to Rs 2,000 crore," said a liquor industry veteran.

The reason for the drastic fall in excise revenue collections are plenty according to industry insiders. "There is no business activity in the market. Migrant populations have left and tourist footfall will not be like earlier. The liquor consumption will therefore witness a natural downfall," said a liquor vend owner in Dehradun.

The agitated liquor vend owners are also planning to not open their shops and move to the high court against the state excise policy. When queried on this, the excise commissioner said, It is the shopkeepers’ decision to keep the shop open or not."

On the sale of the old liquor stock, he said, “They cannot sell it like that. The state government will buy back the stock if they do not have licences this time.”

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