The government’s decision to allow the sale of liquor in green and orange zones during the nationwide lockdown may bode well for its coffers, but is likely to defeat the purpose of social distancing and lead to a spike in covid-19 cases in the country.
The home ministry relaxed some lockdown rules, starting 4 May, including sale of alcohol, pan and gutkha at standalone shops in green and orange zones.
The response was overwhelming with people standing in long queues to buy alcohol, flouting social distancing norms, and authorities unable to control the crowd.
Public health experts have cautioned that this may impact the covid-19 cases trajectory in India. “Opening up of alcohol sale and mismanagement has definitely buried social and