Andhra Pradesh liquor shops see huge rush despite price hike

Amaravati: It was as if Bacchus was reborn again (twice he was born anyway) for a second time in Andhra Pradesh as his lovers thronged the streets to celebrate the arrival of wine after a Covid-19 induced lockdown. Following the Centre's order on easing lockdown curbs in the country, the Government of Andhra Pradesh too ordered the opening of the 14 distilleries in the State and asked the wine shops to open the counters from 11 am to 7 pm.

What an opening it was! Worshippers of the heady stuff queued up much before the opening timings of the shops with ecstasy writ large on their faces to embrace their great escape into the world of fantasy. Serpentine queues were witnessed from Srikakulam to Anantapur much to the chagrin of those in Vijayawada which falls under the Red Zone and hence remained dry.

The government hiked the price by 25 per cent on liquor, but that is the premium tipplers were ready to shell down for the celebration. (How does this meagre hike matter to those paying much higher in the grey market?). It turned out to be yet another occasion to break the rules of social distancing while waiting for the stuff.

Here is what the reports suggested: People of Visakhapatnam did not care for social distancing and waited patiently for hours for their turn. Birla Junction saw queues extending beyond camera's vision at the stand alone outlets. Reports from Srikakulam and Vizianagaram suggested that there was some delay in opening up of the shops as due to price hike. There was some technical glitch that led to restiveness among the people.

While East and West Godavari districts too reported similar developments, women in Nellore district reportedly forced shops to close down fearing spread of coronavirus seeing the rush. The Prohibition and Excise Department issued strict guidelines seeking enforcement of social distancing norms.

The guidelines say that not more than five customers should be allowed at a time. For this, there will be five circles drawn in front of the liquor shop with six feet distance between two circles. But where there any circles and were they respected? Who cared.

Out of the 41 wine shops in Tirupati, 14 were shut due to containment rules and the other opened. Some shopkeepers gave aarti to their shops before opening and offered coconuts. A common refrain was "how does it matter…paying a few rupees more? Our worry is whether we return home with a bottle or not as the rush is too much".

Prakasam district boozers were distraught as no shops opened up there due to the two APSBCL depots at Ongole and Markapur falling under containment zones. Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry sought the details about the number of liquor shops opened in the state on Monday.

It is said to have expressed concern over the large number of wine shops thrown open in Andhra Pradesh and expressed concern that the impact of lockdown and social distancing could be lost if rules are not tightened. They are learnt to have suggested that the number of shops should be reduced.