West Bengal allows home delivery of liquor, BEVCO launches website for ordering
KOLKATA: The West Bengal government on Wednesday allowed home delivery of liquor and the State Beverages Corporation (BEVCO) launched a website through which people over 21 years of age can place orders.
The move was aimed at avoiding large gatherings at standalone 'OFF' shops which reopened on Monday, industry sources said.
Customers can place orders through the website https://excise.wb.gov.in/eRetail/Page/eRetail_Login.aspx after registering themselves by providing necessary details such as address and mobile number, among others.
After registration, they can order liquor from the designated stores that are on the website.
Liquor worth over Rs 100 crore was sold in the first two days of reopening of the shops, said Sushmita Mukherjee, the assistant secretary of West Bengal ON, OFF, CS, and Hotel Owners Association.
She said that while 70 percent 'OFF' shops remained open in the first two days, it came down to 50 percent on Wednesday.
Many shops could not remain open for the entire stipulated time -- 12 pm to 7 pm -- as they ran out of stock, she said.
The state government has allowed liquor shops to reopen in green, red, and orange zones, except for those located in the containment areas.
Unlike the first day, crowds outside liquor shops were "under control" on the two subsequent days, Mukherjee said.
The state registered liquor sales of around Rs 30 crore on Wednesday, she added.
Before West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Punjab governments allowed home delivery of alcoholic drinks.