Maharashtra govt mulls home delivery of liquor

NAGPUR: This could give tipplers a new high. The Maharashtra government is now planning to introduce a policy that will see liquor being delivered home.Minister for state for excise Chandrashekhar Bawankule told TOI on Saturday that this would be a game changer for the liquor industry. Maharashtra is likely to be the first state in the country to bring in such a policy."The main objective is to reduce growing cases of drunken driving due to which there have been many accidents and resulted in great loss of lives," the minister said and added that alcohol would be delivered home through platforms similar to national and international e-commerce websites. "Just like citizens are getting groceries and vegetables at home," Bawankule said.The National Crime Records Bureau NCRB ) suggested that in 2015 about 1.5% of the total 4.64 lakh road accidents were caused by drunken driving or 'drug driving', resulting in injuries to 6,295 people. The offence, the report said, resulted in 2,988 deaths, at more than 8 deaths a day.To ensure that people buying liquor online meet the required age criteria, Bawankule said they would direct sellers to take complete details of customers, which would include Aadhaar numbers, through which their identity can be verified.The minister said liquor bottles would be geo-tagged to keep track of their manufacture and sale. "The tagging would be done on the cap of the bottle. We can track the bottle all the way from the manufacturer to the consumer. It would help curb sale of spurious liquor and also smuggling," Baweankule said.Lauding the government's move, noted high court lawyer Shreerang Bhandarkar said it would "provide respite to busy individuals and save precious time". He added: "Apart from reducing instances of drunken driving, it would also generate employment for youths who deliver the product. Moreover, it would offer unlimited choice to consumers and ensure that quality is maintained."Activist Paromita Goswami, who has been leading the fight for total prohibition, isn't pleased though. Calling the move "unconstitutional", something that would have several "adverse effects", she said, "Article 47 of the Constitution of India clearly prohibits sale of intoxicating drinks that may lead to injury or death. The government should rethink the move that may increase liquor addiction in the state."