By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Days after the Odisha Excise Commissioner Anjan Kumar Manik seeking permission from Government to open plants,breweries,distilleries in advance to cater to the growing needs of liquor consumers soon after liquor shops are opened following the lifting of lockdown but few liquor shop owners in State Capital of Bhubaneswar welcomed drunkard customers while garlanding them with flowers on Monday when they first sale the liquor.
A photo seems taken at one of the 3 foregin liquor shops at Master Canteen area of Bhubaneswar, in which the sales men were garlanding flowers to customers after they opened the shop following the lifting of restrictions imposed in view of COVID-19. Bhubaneswar has been declared as Red Zone along with Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore.
It may be noted here that as many as 12 Bottling plants, 5 Breweries and 2 Distilleries Odisha have been closed since March 25 in strict adherence to the COVID 19 guidelines.
Earlier, the Odisha Wine Shop Owners’ Association had urged the Naveen Patnaik Government not to open the liquor shops and appealed to extend the re-opening of the shops by 15 days.
The association’s recommendation came after the Central govt on Friday allowed the opening of wine shops in green and orange zones. Association president Prabhat Das said the closure of the liquor stores has resulted loss of Rs 400 crore in a month in the state. The lockdown has also resulted loss of Rs 600 crore in last one and a half month in Odisha.
“People’s lives are more important than liquor, so we urge the govt to extend the re-opening of the shops by 15 days,” Das added. The Centre on Friday allowed the sale of liquor, paan, and tobacco across the country, even as it extended the lockdown period for two more weeks beginning from May 4.
