Liquor lovers' joy short-lived, alcohol outlets closed in Assam, Meghalaya after Centre's guidelines

Two days after allowing sale of liquor, the Assam government on Wednesday withdrew the orders following guidelines issued by the Centre on the extended lockdown due to coronavirus. In neighbouring Meghalaya, wine shops that opened on Monday were ordered to down the shutters in the East Khasi Hills district following imposition of curfew on Tuesday evening due to detection of a COVID-19 confirmed case. Other districts in Meghalaya have also issued similar instructions in view of the extended lockdown everywhere in the country, an Excise department official said. In the consolidated guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, no relaxation has been given to liquor manufacturing or its retail sales, which was allowed in Assam from Monday by the state Excise Department as also in Meghalaya. A strict ban has been enforced on the sale of liquor, gutka, tobacco etc. under the updated central guidelines that came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced extension of the nationwide lockdown till May 3 to check the spread of COVID-19 infection.

"States/Union Territory cannot dilute restrictions imposed vide the aforesaid guidelines issued by MHA. States/UTs may, however, impose stricter measures than these guidelines as per requirement of local areas," Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote to all chief secretaries during the day.

Deputy commissioners of two districts of Assam told PTI that the Union Cabinet secretary during a video conference this morning specifically instructed all states to shut activities related to production and sale of alcohol.

Following this, the Assam Excise Department issued an order in the evening asking all the deputy commissioners to close liquor shops, wholesale warehouses, bottling plants, distilleries and breweries indefinitely in the state.

The communication issued by Additional Commissioner of Excise S K Medhi stated that the revised order from the state government was issued "in view of the consolidated revised guidelines and national directives issued by the central government for COVID-19 management".

On April 12, Medhi had ordered all liquor shops, wholesale warehouses, bottling plants, distilleries and breweries across Assam to open from the next day for seven hours daily. Opening of the liquor vends in the two northeastern states had drawn a large number of alcohol lovers to the wine shops.

Maintaining social distance, people stood in serpentine queues to have their choice of liquor.