The Maharashtra liquor token system starts today in Pune; Verify details

It will help prevent long lines of people outside liquor stores. (Representative image: IE)

Maharashtra’s excise department has decided to pilot launch an online token system for liquor sales in the city of Pune to avoid overcrowding in stores. The move comes after drinking fountains gathered in large numbers outside liquor stores in various parts of the state last week, defying physical distancing rules to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Under the new system, a person can obtain a token by registering on the portal of the state’s special tax departments and then go to the store to buy liquor, a senior department official said Monday. Only those who get the token can go to the store and buy liquor. It will help prevent long lines of people outside liquor stores.

Huge crowds outside the stores put a lot of pressure on the state administration to enforce physical estrangement, he said.

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The government plans to issue a limited number of tokens for liquor sales to avoid crowds on the streets, he said. The system will be piloted in the city of Pune and, if successful, will be replicated in other parts of the state, he added.