The State government has justified reopening of liquor shops, saying it was done under compelling circumstances because the trade had resumed in all the four neighbouring States, paving the way for flow of liquor across inter-State borders.
Excise Minister V. Srinivas Goud told a press conference that already, despite the lockdown, cases of non-duty paid liquor from other States had started surfacing in Telangana. Also, people wanting to make a fast buck selling adulterated liquor had gained ground. They sold bottled arrack mixed with chemicals at prices ranging up to ₹ 1,000. So, the government had no option but to reopen the shops.
Mr. Goud who undertook a whirlwind tour of far-flung areas in Hyderabad to see for himself liquor trade since morning expected the long queues at shops to ease after a couple of days with the replenishment of stocks at the outlets. Not a single lorry was sent to the shops with stock from depots on Wednesday with the objective that the existing liquor at the outlets be exhausted before fresh arrivals commenced. It did not, however, mean that the shops sold liquor with expiry date.
He said the production at distilleries and breweries across the State commenced on Wednesday and fresh stock would be sold from Thursday.
The Minister maintained that all but 34 out of 2,211 shops in the State reopened on the day. The 34 shops were ordered for closure for various reasons, including mismatch in closing stock at the commencement of shutdown and opening stock on resumption. The authorities had booked 28 cases for the offences.
He said arrack distillation had picked up substantially since the lockdown, resulting in booking of 2,409 cases, arrest of 2,089 persons and destruction of 11,130 litres of the brew. About 1.25 lakh kg of black jaggery that went into production of arrack that had arrived from neighbouring States was seized.
