Hyderabad: For the first time in 40 days, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao green-lit the sale of liquor but at jacked-up rates with a 16 per cent tax on alcohol. Despite the GHMC’s efforts to draw white chalk circles for customers to stand in, their initiatives were thwarted as people gathered from early morning onward. The police personnel deployed at the liquor shops were using their laathis to beat Telanganites jostling amongst each other to buy alcohol after a long time. Many of these instances were sights to behold.
While the central government has eased the lockdown restrictions, Telangana has extended the lockdown till May 29 despite some relaxations in the industry construction works and agriculture in the stated.
“At of the shops that opened in the morning, over 1500 people were already gathered and waiting for the shop to open so that they can buy alcohol,” a police officer deployed in Kachiguda told the Siasat.com reporter.
Alongside the increase in alcohol by 16 percent, the revised rates for these beverages that came into effect on Tuesday night also consisted of an 11 percent increase in cheap liquor.
Though only people with masks are being allowed on shop premises for purchases. In localities like Narayanguda, Koti, Kachiguda and Puranapul, wine shops were bestrewn with long queues containing men with face masks. Police were strictly warning that shop owners and buyers alike that failure to adhere to social distancing norms would result in the closing of the store.
One lucky customer who managed to buy some wine, Shekar, mentioned that he went to a shop in Puranapul at 7:30 am and was delighted to discover it had opened early. There were about 20 to 25 people in the morning and the shop was open for about two hours. People in rows of five wearing masks were being allowed in.
Moreover, signs that read “No mask, No liquor” adorned wine shops
“We have been thirsty for over a month,” Kishor Shukla, 48, told siasat.com as he queued in Banjara Hills wines shop, whereas – in Koti, Kachiguda used sticks to control the crowds urging to maintain social distancing.
As he purchased expensive and branded wine on Wednesday, Banti said that this bumper liquor sale can give crores worth of revenue to the government. Another person said, “Alcohol will energise us in following social distancing norms during the pandemic.”
Yet, in such pandemic-ridden times, the ability to even purchase alcohol is the privilege of more fortunate strata — much like the capability to maintain social distancing.
While waiting patiently across the street from one outlet in Banjara Hills, Anil Kumar elaborated, “It’s not like I have anything to do at home, but having a glass of wine after 40 days amounts to nothing short of happiness for me.”
With more affluent stratum procuring alcohol, many poor people loiter neighboring streets and bylanes hoping that someone will give them a bottle.
Unlike Telangana, other states like Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra, the liquor tax have been raised to 70 per cent and several stores have been shut down.
Mohammed Hussain mohammedhussain.reporter@gmail.com