The Supreme Court, in May, suggested that states should consider indirect sale and home delivery of liquor as per its statute and law to avoid crowding at liquor shops amid the lockdown. States venturing into home delivery of liquor If the state plans to go ahead with the online sale of liquor as a long-term solution, which could help efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, the state Excise Act needs to be amended or some immediate measures need to be taken. In Karnataka, which has a very high demand of alcohol, the law has been clear that the sale of online goods cannot be equated with the sale of alcohol online. However, there is currently no legal provision for home delivery of alcohol in India. While West Bengal has already allowed for home delivery of alcohol, several states including Karnataka are treading towards the step with the aim of generating revenue and ensuring public safety. Karnataka too imposed an additional excise duty of 17-25% on all Indian-made liquor. For instance, Delhi introduced a ‘ Special Corona Fee’ of 70% on top of retail alcohol prices. To tackle this problem, states introduced a variety of measures, ranging from levying additional tax to allowing for home delivery of alcohol. There was no adherence to social distancing rules as people congregated in large numbers outside outlets in some cities, leading to baton charges by the police. When the COVID-19 lockdown was eased, India saw scores of people lining up in front of liquor shops to purchase alcohol.
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