As India, entered the third leg of lockdown, Ministry of Home Affairs has given certain relaxations to the public and non-essential services so that India can unlock its economy. With the latest guidelines, liquor shops across the country are allowed to open but for a stipulated time, using COVID-19 preventive measures.
Punjab has been one of the first states that sounded an alarm bell regarding possible large-scale COVID-19 outbreak after 94,000 people returned from COVID-19 hotspots, including the US, UK, Spain and Italy. Punjab receives most of its revenue from liquor and has faced hardships to overcome this problem. CM Captian Amarinder Singh, earlier, sought permission of Union Home Ministry to re-open liquor business as the state was on the verge of losing its substantial revenue, but Ministry denied and gave permission to Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Punjab CM also asked for the GST arrears from the Centre to deal with the financial crisis amid curfew imposed due to pandemic.
The MHA on May 2 passed certain guidelines to open all non-essential services including liquor business across country May 4 onwards and many states saw great response despite the ongoing scare of the novel coronavirus. It has been nearly 41 days that Punjab has closed its liquor business due to which state had to bear the loss of Rs 600 crore.
Now, Punjab under the guidelines of CM Captain Amarinder Singh is all set to resume liquor business from May 6 or 7. Liquor and wine shops will be opened in all zones except for the containment zones. So far, the Excise and Taxation Department has directed all the local and district level officers to maintain contact with DC's of respective areas and ensure opening of shops in a staggered way with COVID preventive measures.
With the closure of liquor business, where Punjab witnessed a substantial loss in its daily revenue of Rs 16 crore, it also recorded illegal cases of sale and purchase of liquor despite the curfew.
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Under the guidance of CM Captain Amarinder Singh, cabinet meeting is likely to be conducted on May 5 or 6 in which ground situation will be reviewed amd assessed, final decision regarding re-opening of thekkas/liquor shops will be taken.
It is to be noted here that due to steepest spike in the coronavirus cases in Punjab, the govt decided not to resume business alike Delhi and other states on May 4, but now, the Excise ad Taxation Department is in full swing to signal a green light for the liquor business. The Excise Department is also planning to start home delivery service of liquor rather only opening of thekkas/shops as a preventive measure to curb the spread of contagious disease, file on the same has been submitted to the CM.
The govt planned for home delivery service after looking over the tipplers scenario across nation on May 4, the final decision on this is yet to come. CM Captain Amarinder Singh will pass on the final guidelines and directions for resuming alcohol/liquor business in the state.
It has also been said by the Excise Dept officials that only those businessmen will be allowed to resume business who according to Taxation Dept's renew policy, have deposited 13 per cent to 14 per cent of fee and had renewed their groups.
In the Fiscal Year of 2020-2021, the Taxation Department has renewed 65 per cent licenses and 35 per cent work is yet to be allocated. This year, the Punjab government is expecting to receive Rs 6000 crore revenue from liquor.