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The order comes when Karnataka generated nearly Rs 200 crore in revenue due to the sale of alcohol this week.
- News18.com New Delhi
- Last update: May 9, 2020 8:39 AM IST
Independent restaurants, pubs and bars in Karnataka that closed on March 25 as part of a national shutdown have been allowed to sell liquor at retail prices since Saturday, the government said.
“The Karnataka government has allowed restaurants, pubs, and bars to sell liquor at retail prices from tomorrow until May 17. However, they can only be sold in the form of takeout,” said an order issued by the state government on Friday night.
Establishments may sell liquor from 9 a.m. at 7 p.m., per order.
The order occurs when the state has generated huge revenues from the sale of alcohol. The liquor sale of nearly Rs 200 million was reported on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Liquor stores had reopened in the state on Monday after more than 40 days, in line with the Center’s new guidelines for the third phase of the shutdown that introduced many relaxations to revive the economy.
Long queues were seen outside stores across the country throughout this week as people, forced to enter due to the pandemic, left to stock up on alcohol.
The state, like many others, has raised excise duties on liquor by 11 percent in a move to increase its revenue that has been hit hard by the pandemic.
On Friday, the Supreme Court had advised states to consider the “non-direct sale, including online / home delivery” of liquor to guarantee a minimum amount of crowds and the application of social distancing protocols in the stores of the whole country.
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