Hyderabad Police Commissioner Inspects Liquor Stores

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said that steps were being taken to ensure all liquor buyers are following physical distancing at all the wine shops that were opened across the state on Wednesday. He has personally visited a few liquor stores in Hyderabad and monitored the situation there. As part of it, he also came down for the inspection of a liquor outlet nea Shanti theatre in Narayanaguda area.

Speaking to the media on this occasion, the Commissioner said that a total of 178 liquor stores were opened across the state. The police department has taken adequate measures so that all the buyers adhered to all the lockdown norms including physical distancing at the wine shops. Separate marks have been drawn for facilitating physical distancing between every two people in the queue, he said, adding that people have to stand inside the circles drawn in front of liquor stores for purchasing liquor.

Asserting that the police would strictly enforce regulations at wine shops, the city police commissioner requested people to cooperate with the police by following all the safety measures to contain the spread of coronavirus.

After CM KCR granted permission for opening of wine shops in the state from Wednesday after a closure of 45 days due to COVID-19 lockdown, booze lovers across the state have thronged liquor shops in the state.

Despite the increase in liquor price by 16 per cent in Telangana, large numbers of tipplers converged on the wine shops. Serpentine queues of desperate liquor seekers were an all-pervading sight at every wine shop across Hyderabad.

Wine shops opened across the state, except in containment zones, from 10 am. Most of the customers were seen wearing face masks and following precautionary measures like physical distancing at the wine shops.

According to the guidelines issued by the Telangana state government, only five persons are allowed at a time at the liquor shop and all of them have to maintain a distance of 6 feet. They all must wear the face masks, otherwise they will not be allowed to buy liquor. They need to stand inside the circles drawn in front of all the liquor shops. Wine shops are permitted to operate from morning 10 am to 6 pm.

Also Read: Re-Opening After 42 Days, Liquor Shops Witness Long Queues In Telangana