RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh government has launched liquor sales at the consumer's doorstep and created a separate portal and an app for those willing to place an order for it. On Monday the state had resumed sale and purchase of alcoholic drinks through retail liquor outlets following the guidelines from the Centre.
A customer has to first get registered, giving his mobile number, Aadhar card detail, and the address following which he gets One Time Password (OTP) on his phone. After accomplishing the registration process, the demand can be generated by him and is sent to the liquor shop located close to the customer’s residence.
For every order, the delivery boy will get Rs 120 from the consumer. An upper limit of 5000 ml per customer has been fixed for online purchases by the government.
The state-owned Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation (CSMCL), which undertakes retail sale of all kinds of liquor/beer/wine to the consumers in the state, has begun booking for online delivery of the beverage to prevent crowding at the liquor shops.
On Monday, an open flouting of social distancing was seen outside the liquor retail outlets in several districts of the state. The liquor sale is allowed in Chhattisgarh from 8 am to 4 pm.
The online services will not be available in districts of Raipur and Korba, which respectively remain under the red and orange zones.
Besides booking liquor on the website of CSMCL, the consumers can also download an App for the purpose to place the order. The government has also imposed a corona cess of Rs 10 per bottle.
The opposition BJP, however, criticized the government’s initiative. “Is the government willing to deliver coronavirus infection too along with the liquor. It's an irony that the Congress that came to power promising liquor ban in the state is evolving ways to sell it”, said Dharamlal Kaushik, the leader of Opposition.
It remains to be seen how many people are willing to go online to purchase as liquor consumption is still seen as socially immoral and taboo in different parts of the state.