Lockdown 3: Finally, Pune District Collector Gives Permission to open Wine Shops, People crowd since morning
Pune, May 4, 2020: People, who have been away from liquor for the last one and a half months flocked to the wine shops after they opened today morning in different parts Pune and state. The government has allowed opening liquor shops in places outside the containment zones. In Pune wine shops opened after 45 days.
Before the shops opened, many people reached the wine shops on bikes to get their number first to buy wine. As a result, the police had to intervene due to heavy traffic outside the wine shops. Liquor lovers have been queuing up in front of various wine shops in the city since 7 am. The reaction from these wine lovers was that they were waiting for the opening of the wine shop as they could not bear the loss of the last quarter of a month.
However, wine shops cannot open unless an order comes from the District Collector’s Office. The final authority to allow the sale of liquor rests with the Collector. In the afternoon, Pune District Collector Naval Kishore Ram issued order to start selling liquor in Pune city, district and Pimpri Chinchwad areas except in containment zones. Only five non-essential commodities shops are allowed to open on a road/lane. Liqour manufacturing allowed except in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) areas. Wholesale shops have to operate with 50% manpower and close down by 5 pm.
Only stand-alone liquor/beer shops in residential colonies and residential complexes can be opened from 10 am to 6 pm. Not more than 5 customers can stand at a time outside the shop. Everybody has to wear a mask and hand sanitizers should be kept there for use. There should be physical (social) distancing (6 feet) between customers. Nobody should drink liquor in the shop nor spit near the shop. Every two hours the shop and front area should be sanitized. Also, any person having flu symptoms like cough, cold, fever should not be allowed entry in the shop. Thermal scanning of all customers to be done before allowing entry.
As liquor was allowed to be sold in all places in the state except the containment area in the red zone, people made a big rush outside liquor shops in many parts of the state, including Mumbai and Thane. In many places, pavilions were set up outside liquor stores. In some places, a circle was made at a certain distance outside the shop for people to stand up to observe the social distance.
