BHOPAL: Liquor and hemp (bhang) shops in Madhya Pradesh will reopen on Tuesday, excluding Bhopal, Indore and Ujjain falling under Red zone, after a gap of 40 days as per the relaxations allowed under the extended coronavirus-induced lockdown, the government said on Monday.
These shops will reopen in other red zones including Jabalpur, Dhar, Barwani, Khandwa, Dewas, and Gwalior outside the urban limits of respective district headquarters, as per the official order.
In total, the liquor and hemp shops will reopen in 49 out of 52 districts in the state, it said.
Liquor shops were closed on March 25 when the first phase of the lockdown came into force.
"Liquor and hemp shops won't re-open in Bhopal, Indore and Ujjain falling under the Red zone from Tuesday till next order. In other red zones of Jabalpur, Dhar, Barwani, Khandwa, Dewas and Gwalior, these shops will reopen outside the urban limits of respective district headquarters," it said.
These shops will also reopen in orange zone of Khargone, Raisen, Hoshangabad, Ratlam, Agar-Malwa, Mandsaur, Sagar, Shajpur, Chhindwara, Alirajpur, Tikamgarh, Shahdol, Sheopur, Dindori, Burhanpur, Harda, Betul, Vidisha, Morena and Rewa, barring containment areas, it said.
Liquor and hemp shops will also reopen in the green zone.
"All the licensees (liquor contractors) have been asked to ensure that the standard operating procedure (SOP) to maintain a distance of about one meter between any two liquor purchasers is followed," the release said.
The local administration will decide the timing during which these shops will be allowed to function in respective districts, it said.
However, retail liquor contractors have opposed the order to reopen shops, fearing that they will lose business gradually.
"We met the state government officials to give suggestions regarding reopening of liquor shops at the pre-lunch session in Bhopal, but by that time the order paving the way for the resumption of booze sale from tomorrow had been passed," a retail contractor told PTI.
We are averse to reopening our liquor shops, as doing so will burn a hole in our pockets, he said.
When asked for the reasons behind the opposition to the reopening of liquor shops, he said the sale of booze will gradually decease in the coming days as bars and other drinking vends remain closed.
"But we will be required to pay the license fee for our annual contract, which seems unsustainable under the current circumstances," he said.
He also said that maintaining social distancing at liquor shops will be tough due to a shortage of manpower.
"Some of my colleagues have already made up their mind to approach the MP High Court against reopening of the shops," he said.
MP Excise Commissioner Rajesh Bahuguna could not be contacted for reaction despite repeated calls.