Citizens Purchase Liquor Worth Rs. 25 Crores In 4 Hours Amid Telangana Lockdown

On the first day of the imposed lockdown in Telangana, citizens of Hyderabad purchased liquor worth Rs. 25 crores. 

A mad rush was witnessed at several liquor shops in Telangana in between 6:00 A.M., to 10:00 A.M. As per the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) lockdown guidelines, all shops are allowed to function between 6:00 A.M., to 10:00 A.M.

Considering the same, people stood in long queues to buy alcohol and within hours, most of the stock was sold. In the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) alcohol worth Rs. 25 crores was sold in just 4 hours. The City Police was on duty to monitor the situation and ensure everyone followed COVID-19 guidelines of wearing face masks, use of sanitizers and following social distancing.

According to the Telangana Wine Dealers Association, there are 460 outlets within GHMC limits and 2,400 outlets in Telangana.

On the 11th of May, an average sale of Rs. 15 lakh was recorded in the GHMC limits. A liquor shop owner in Hyderabad said, “About 90% of stocks were sold by the time we closed our shops on Tuesday (the 11th of May.) The 10% includes premium brands that don’t sell very easily. On Wednesday morning (the 12th of May) the panic buying continued. We had to sell from the remaining 10% stock because we haven’t replenished the stock yet after yesterday’s sales.”

Meanwhile, many shop owners expressed disappointment with the new timings during the lockdown. A shopkeeper said, “Even if we open the shop for storing stock, chances of booking the case by police under provisions of Disaster Management Act are more.”

Another shop owner, who wished anonymity questioned the timings and other issues liquor shops are facing. He said, “Are people supposed to buy milk, vegetables and other essentials, or are they expected to buy alcohol? There are several logistical issues. There has been no planning by the Government. The timings ideally should have been from 10 am to 12 noon or in the evening. The present timing presents a lot of issues. We don’t get essential service passes after we close the shop. We need to deposit money in the bank and then reach home. We will be stopped by the police. Also buying items from the depot to refill our stock is an issue because we don’t get labour during lockdown hours. There are too many logistical issues.”

In addition, the owners and the staff working at several liquor shops would be facing difficulties while returning home during lockdown hours.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) imposed a 10 days lockdown, which started from the 12th of May and would continue till the 22nd of May.