Covid-19 lockdown: You can get alcohol home delivered in Maharashtra, but conditions apply

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Coronavirus lockdown latest news: Maharashtra government has decided to allow home delivery of alcohol. The government has exercised power under Section 139 of Maharashtra prohibition Act 1949 to allow the home delivery of liquor.

Maharashtra has reported largest share of coronavirus cases in the country. Mumbai is the worst-hit. The state capital along with other urban centres in the city like Pune, Nashik, Nagpur form a huge chunk of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra.

Last week, when government briefly allowed sale of liquor in shops, the state witnessed large number of customers flouting lockdown norms just to but their liquor fix. With the fresh decision of allowing home-delivery of alcohol, it seems likely that such a rush may be avoided.

However, the permission for home delivery of alcohol has been given under few conditions.

Home delivery of alcohol is permitted under these conditions:

1. The licensee (seller) shall sell the Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) - Spirits, Beer, Mild Liquor, Wines only in respect of the liquor for which he is licensed to sale
2. The Licensee shall effect sale & delivery of the Foreign Liquor only from within the area of the licensed premises and on the day & during the hours as specified.
3. The Sale of liquor under the order to the permit holder by effecting delivery of their permitted liquor to the home address may be effected only if the permit holder places an order for ale pf he concerned liquor.
4. The licensee shall ensure that the person deployed for delivery of liquor use mask and also use hand sanitizers at frequent intervals
5. This order shall be in force & effective until the order of lockdown issued by the Govt from time to time under the Disaster Management Act 2005 or any other act is in force in the state.

Maharashtra has already started e-token system for sale of alcohol in the state. 

Under the new system, a person can get a token by registering on the state excise departments portal and then go to the shop to buy liquor, a senior department official said on Monday. 

The system is based on an app developed by an association of wholesalers in Pune and Nashik region. Shoppers can download it and place an order from a nearby shop, upon which they will get a time-slot to go fetch it, an excise official told TOI.