Liquor shops to e-commerce during lockdown 3.0: Govt clarifies what is allowed in what zone.
Liquor shops to e-commerce during lockdown 3.0: Govt clarifies what is allowed in what zone
With the government extended the nationwide lockdown on Friday, there was disarray about whether the sale of liquor will be allowed and whether e-commerce services will be allowed to work. The Ministry of Home Affairs has now clarified that both liquor shops and e-commerce services are allowed with certain restrictions
Liquor shops to e-commerce during lockdown 3.0: Govt clarifies what is allowed in what zone
Liquor shops will be allowed to open in many pieces of the nation under Lockdown 3.0 (File photograph for representation)
The central government extended the nationwide lockdown imposed to control the spread of the novel coronavirus Friday. However, the government altogether relaxed the restrictions imposed in several areas. This was the second time the nationwide lockdown, which initially came into effect late-March, was extended.
The government's arrangement for Lockdown 3.0, as it has come to be called, involves separating locale the nation over into Red, Orange, and Green Zones. Red Zones are the ones with the most number of cases and the highest multiplying rate; Orange Zones have comparatively fewer cases while Green Zones have had no cases over the most recent 21 days.
Discover your locale's zone characterization with our regularly refreshing rundown
The restrictions imposed in a region will depend on the zone characterization of that locale. The Ministry of Home Affairs released a rundown of such restrictions Friday. Be that as it may, there was disarray on the sale of liquor and e-commerce services since the MHA's press note didn't explicitly discuss these either liquor stores or e-commerce services in all zones.
Top sources inside the Ministry of Home Affairs have now clarified that liquor stores will be allowed to open in both Orange and Green Zones. Liquor stores will likewise be allowed to open in Red Zones as long as they are standalone shops not part of a market complex or a shopping center.
Additionally, the sources stated, e-commerce will be allowed uniquely for essentials on Red Zones. In Orange and Green Zones, e-commerce will be allowed for both essential and unnecessary items products. The sources likewise added that the issue of permitting or prohibiting housekeepers to resume work has been left up to the respective state governments and association territory organizations.
A significant point to note here is that these relaxed restrictions won't make a difference to containment areas identified by nearby authorities in Red and Orange Zones. Containment areas will remain under severe restrictions with nothing beyond the flexibility of essentials allowed.
Another point to note is that under the lockdown directives issued Friday, states and association territories can choose to strengthen the restrictions issued by the Center. They, however, can't dilute them.
So for example, while the Center has permitted liquor shops to open in non-containment areas of Red (just standalone stores), Orange and Green Zones, states, and UTs can choose to keep them shut on the off chance that they wish. What states and UTs can't do is dilute the restrictions, i.e. for example, states and UTs can't permit e-commerce for insignificant items in Red Zones.
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