States should consider home delivery of liquor to avoid overcrowding: Supreme Court

States should consider home delivery of liquor to avoid overcrowding: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday proposed that states should consider home delivery and an indirect sale of liquor to avoid crowding at liquor shops during the coronavirus induced lockdown.

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan refused to pass any orders on Public Interest Litigation (PIL) looking for clarity on the sale of liquor and to guarantee social distancing while it is being sold in liquor shops amid the lockdown.

Justice Ashok Bhushan heard the case via video-conferencing, said, “We will not pass any order but the states should consider an indirect sale/home delivery of liquor to maintain social distancing norms and standards,” The PIL, filed by Sai Deepak, required directions for closing of liquor shops for fading to impose social distancing, which is important to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

Another judge in the bench Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said that discussion on home delivery is already going on.

Liquor stores observed long queues, stretching over two kilometres in some areas of the nation after the central government announced relaxations in the third phase of the lockdown from May 4.

The government's order said only standalone alcohol shops in green and orange zones or areas where there were no more than 15-20 confirmed COVID-19 cases, would be allowed to re-open along with shops in the red zone were also permitted to run.

Though some shops practised the norms of social distancing, many liquor shops in Delhi were forced closed after people who had lined up to buy alcohol disobeyed the guidelines and over-crowded the shops.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government is discussing the home delivery option where they have planned to launch the website for people to apply for e-tokens to buy liquor.

(With agency inputs)

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