BENGALURU: Bengalureans can no longer get alcohol delivered home for now as outlets in Bengaluru have stopped services amid uncertainty about the legality of the service.While the Dunzo app stopped its services in September, another app, HipBar, stopped its services last week. HipBar posted a message on its app according to which the services were stopped because of a story run by a Kannada TV News channel, which cast “serious aspersions on HipBar and the Excise Department on granting permission for home delivery.”
The message further states that it was reported by the media that online sale of liquor had been suspended. Officials of the Excise Department have not contacted HipBar. “To play safe, we decided to suspend delivery services in Karnataka till we get some clarity on the matter,” states the message.Apps like HipBar were operating with a letter of authority issued by the Excise Department, as currently there is no licence for the online delivery of alcohol.
In October, as per reports, the state government was considering a law to facilitate the sale of liquor online, coupled with home delivery. The move was seen as a way to substantially increase revenue.Additional Commissioner of Excise (Indian Made Liquor) Rajendra Prasad said that while a final decision in this regard had not been made, it is unlikely that online sale of alcohol will be allowed in the state. “Objections have been raised against the move and as the current system of alcohol distribution is not robust enough, we are not ready for this yet,” he said.
B Govindaraj Hegde, president of the Federation of Wine Merchants Association, Karnataka, said the federation has already conveyed its objections, and will submit the same in writing on Thursday. He said this model of business would reduce the business of retail outlets and there was no way to verify the age of the person who orders liquor online.