Liquor shops to reopen in Nagpur rural, remain shut in city

NAGPUR: Though the state government on Sunday allowed liquor and pan shops, and other non-essential shops in non-containment zone to remain open with certain conditions, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) commissioner Tukaram Mundhe told TOI that there will be no such relaxations in the city limits. The state’s revised notification states that only stand-alone and five non-essential shops each can remain open in a single lane.
Late on Sunday night district collector Ravindra Thakre issued a notification for other parts of the district. While pan and tobacco shops will remain closed, he has allowed liquor and other non-essential shops to open but they have to follow strict social distancing norms. A separate order by the state excise department said that liquor shops can function between 10am and 6pm only. They will have to strictly adhere to five persons at-a-time norm stipulated by the state government.
Thakre is considering rural parts of Nagpur as Orange Zone even as Nagpur city remains in Red Zone.
Mundhe issued a notification on Sunday afternoon extending the lockdown on the lines of Mumbai, Pune and Malegaon till May 17. Even though additional restrictions were not imposed by state government in Nagpur district, the commissioner has pressed them within municipal limits.
After the state government’s revised notification, deputy municipal commissioner Nirbhay Jain said that a new order will be issued on Monday. State’s orders were in line with the central notification which came out for Red, Orange and Green zones on Friday.
Mundhe later told TOI that liquor, tobacco and other non-essential shops would not be allowed to function in the city. “I am empowered under the Epidemic Act and have taken the decision in the interest of city. Ministry of health and family welfare in its notification dated April 30 has clearly given powers to tighten the norms. But we cannot relax norms whichever are not approved by the government. We have been also asked to positively err on side of caution. Therefore, I have taken the decision to extend up to May 17,” he said.
Mundhe also said all norms applicable for Mumbai Metropolitan and Pune Metropolitan Region areas will also be relevant in the city. “We need to contain Covid-19 and take city into Green Zone. The time is not right to relax the restrictions. Lockdown will have to be implemented in an effective manner. I am requesting people to cooperate with the administration,” he said.
As per the state health department, the projection of positive cases in mid-May is 18,902 for Nagpur and 75,801 for Vidarbha.
Mundhe has not allowed private offices to function at 33% strength, which was permitted by the central government in Red Zones. Government offices except those offering essential services will function at 5% capacity. This is in line with state government notification.
Meanwhile, collectors of Akola, Amravati, Yavatmal and other districts in Vidarbha too have issued notifications on lockdown.
Akola collector Jitendra Papalkar told TOI that doubling rate of Covid-19 cases was a major cause of concern for the district. “We have decided to observe 2 days of full curfew on May 4 and 5. After that, we will go for odd-even scheme,” he said.
All shops excluding hospitals and medical stores will remain closed for next two days in Akola. “After that, essential shops will remain open on odd date and closed on even date,” added Papalkar.
Amravati collector Shailesh Naval has not given any concessions to areas under cluster and containment zones. The notifications keeps schools/colleges, cinema halls, weekly bazars, cattle bazars, festivals and fairs closed during the lockdown but permits sale of grocery, grains, dairy items between 8am and 12pm during lockdown.
It also permits all nationalized, private banks, cooperatives, credit societies and financial institutions to function between 9am and 3pm up to May 17.
Yavatmal collector has not allowed any activity barring the essential commodities shops and movement for medical emergencies in the containment areas. However, liquor shops are permitted in other areas.