Home delivery of liquor in Mumbai from Sunday; no across-the-counter sale

MUMBAI: Finally a week after the Maharashtra government's permission to door delivery of liquor came into effect, Mumbaikars holding drinking permits can now also order the same on their home addresses from the nearby licensed shops.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), whose nod was awaited to implement the state excise decision, has not only allowed shops to deliver on their own but also allowed them to tie up with e-commerce platforms.
Association of Progressive Retail Liquor Vendors Association has welcomed the decision but said they will be able to implement on the same from Sunday as they need to take an excise pass for staff and transport vehicles besides a formal go-ahead from the collectors. Association President Arvind Miskin said they have no plans to join hands with e-commerce platforms to save customers from any rise in MRP.
Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Chahal has however not allowed across the counter sale, same on the lines of Thane and Panvel municipalities. However, deliveries will not be allowed in containment zones, areas where a covid-19 positive patient or his/her high risk contacts are living in.
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"Liquor shops selling the same in sealed bottles will be permitted to operate by selling the same to customers by delivery of the same to their home address," Chahal said in his order saying that shops can operate accordingly from the midnight of May 22 itself. However, under no circumstances would over the counter sales of liquor be permitted from such shops and instead e-commerce platforms may be utilised by the liquor shops to provide for home delivery, the order added further.
All other measures for containment of Covid-19 in the city still remain in force namely all malls, markets, complexes and markets will remain closed in urban areas. However, shops selling essential goods in markets and complexes are permitted.
Sumit Chawala, a liquor vendor association vice president and a shop owner, said shops had no intention to tie up with the e-commerce chains as they themselves had more than enough staff and infrastructure to do so on their own. "It will be like snatching their bread and butter if we tie-up," he added. Meanwhile, Chahal's order also empowers ward officers along with the excise officers in ensuring the strict compliance of his today's order.
State's May 12 order allowing home delivery suggested that tipplers across the state can get their stock (barring country liquor) home-delivered from the retail shops in their neighbourhood only during the period of lockdown and only through phone calls or messages. However, later the detailed guidelines suggested that e-commerce platforms can tie up with the retailers and wholesalers indicating an approval to online. While almost all cities implemented the state orders, Mumbai and Aurangabad were awaiting endorsement form the civic commissioners.
The home delivery system promises zero crowd at liquor shops in Mumbai thus helping local administration in implementing the social distancing norms. Also it will help the excise ministry in meeting the revenue targets. In March and April alone excise officials had pegged losses to around Rs 1800 crore due to the lockdown.
Meanwhile, to ensure that the already stocked liquor, mainly beer, does not expire, the state excise has also allowed the bars/permit rooms to sell their stock to either liquor shops or through parcels during the period of lockdown. However, it does not allow them to buy a new stock.
In the meanwhile, some liquor shops in the state where across-counter-sale is also allowed are implementing the E-token system in which the shops issue token numbers with fixed timings to the consumers through phone or an app developed by liquor wholesalers. THe consumers then collect their stock as per the time slot allotted to them on a given token number.
As per the excise orders the delivery is to be given to only those possessing drinking permits and the staff deployed for the delivery of liquor use mask and also use hand sanitizers at frequent intervals. It is mandatory for the delivery boys to have the medical certificate of fitness duly signed by the doctors besides proper identity cards. It is the responsibility of owners to ensure that no contagious diseases spread through the boys besides ensuring a proper storage during the transport, he said.