Delhi cops take violators down a peg

NEW DELHI: Alcohol, deemed necessary in hand sanitisers to keep the novel coronavirus at bay, ironically continues to challenge the arrangements put in place to prevent Covid infection. On the third day of liquor sales in the capital after over 40 dry days, Delhiites thronged the fewer vends that were doing business, creating “law and order problems”, as police termed them while closing the shops earlier than permitted on Wednesday.
In Gole Market in central Delhi, police shut down the wine and beer outlet after four hours.“It got very difficult to maintain order, but despite making regular announcements on loudspeakers, people continued to arrive. Closing the shop was the only option,” explained a police officer.
Suresh Yadav, who rode to the site from Karol Bagh, surveyed the scene from a distance. The disbelieving trader said, “I skipped coming the first two days because of the crowds. I thought the shop would be open from 9am to 7pm. I wish I had come a few hours earlier.”
Disappointment was writ large on the faces of those looking to get their hands on a bottle. “This is ridiculous. None of the 5-6 shops in Vasant Kunj is open. I found two in Vasant Vihar also shut,” said Amit Kumar, 45, who had made the rounds of south Delhi in search of his tipple. “So few shops are open that the outlets are bound to be crowded. If you are charging 70% more, you should also ensure availability of the product.”
Late on Monday, Delhi government imposed a special corona fee of 70% on the maximum retail price of alcoholic products in the capital. But that did little to deter consumers on Tuesday. But Wednesday did not belong to them because fewer shops were open for business than the previous day. In East Delhi, all the shops in Vishwas Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Jheel Khuranja, Chander Nagar, Shivpuri and Laxmi Nagar, among others, remained shut. So also in south Delhi. Outside an outlet in Malviya Nagar, buyers were greeted with a poster: Agle aadesh tak dukaan bandh hai (Closed until further orders).
In many places, even as the shops remained closed, huge queues awaited hopefully, expecting a turn in their luck. “I am waiting since 8am,” said Sanju, 27, in Kotla Mubarakpur. “I came yesterday too, but the shop closed after a couple of hours of business. I don’t know when, if at all, this outlet will open.” Rahul, standing nearby, alleged, “You can get a bottle of whiskey at a much higher price in the black market. Is it a crime to want to have a drink after almost two months locked in our houses?”
Delhi Police had asked shop owners to ensure social distancing and keep their stocks full to meet the high demand for alcohol. They were also directed to have QR code-enabled payment systems and multiple swiping machines for cards to avoid hassles and delays in accepting payments. Events on Wednesday proved the vends weren’t quite up to the task, forcing police to intervene.