Puducherry liquor shops to reopen on Wednesday

PUDUCHERRY: Chief minister V Narayanasamy who said on Monday afternoon that the wholesale and retail liquor shops will reopen in Puducherry from May 19 said later after 10pm that the government has deferred the reopening by a day as it has proposed to impose Covid tax on liquor. Aadhaar will be mandatory to buy liquor in Puducherry and it will be sold only to residents in Pondy.
The territorial cabinet led by Narayansamy reconvened for the second time in Monday night and passed a decision in this regard.Narayansamy said the government decided to impose Covid tax on liquor and sent the proposal for approval from lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi.
He maintained that the government’s decision was to reopen the liquor shops but after imposing Covid tax. He said the liquor shops will be reopened after Bedi’s approval for imposing the new tax. The government has been facing immense pressure from the liquor traders whose licenses were suspended for their reported involvement in the illegal sale of liquor during lockdown to revoke their suspension before reopening the shops in Puducherry. There are close to 500 liquor license holders in Puducherry.