Liquor shops in Lko open from today

SHOPS IN MOST OTHER DISTRICTS, INCLUDING ONES IN AND AROUND THE STATE CAPITAL LIKE BARABANKI AND SITAPUR, HAD ALREADY OPENED

Liquor shops in Lucknow will open from Thursday, district excise officer Sunil Mishra said.

“The shops would open from 10 am to 7 pm. The liquor sellers would have to ensure social distancing and strictly adhere to the Covid protocol,” Mishra said.

Shops at most other districts, including ones in and around the state capital like Barabanki and Sitapur, have already opened while a decision on opening shops in Lucknow got delayed amid speculation that it was due to high Covid-19 cases.

“It is now decided that we will open liquor shops while ensuring social distancing and other Covid appropriate behaviour,” said Kanhaiya Lal Maurya, general secretary, Liquor Sellers’ Welfare Association.

Maurya, who also owns countrymade and beer shops, said while shops elsewhere had opened, people from Lucknow had been travelling to nearby districts like Baranbanki to get liquor. Liquor sellers, claiming losses worth over Rs 100 crore due to the closure, had appealed to the district officials to consider allowing liquor shops to run. “We have been asked to ensure that proper social distancing measures are in place. In any case, we had already decided that only those coming to our shops wearing masks would be given liquor. We had also decided to carry out a sensitization campaign, distribute free masks to make people aware of the need for Covid appropriate behaviour,” Maurya said.

The state government had empowered the district magistrates to take a call on opening of liquor shops as per the situation in their districts.