Home delivery of liquor gets Mumbai civic body’s nod.

Online sale of liquor possible through e-commerce platforms, retailers will need permissions for the same. 

In a much relief to Mumbaikars, Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Friday permitted the online sale of liquor from Saturday via home delivery. However, the service won’t be allowed in containment zones, and the delivery timings in non-containment zones will be from 10 am to 6 pm.

Retail shops can use various e-commerce platforms to facilitate home delivery of liquor, the guideline stated. Meanwhile, customers will have to wait a little longer to get home delivery service as liquor retailers will need permissions from the excise department and the Mumbai collector. Customers will be able to take benefit of the service from Sunday at the earliest. To avail, the service one must hold a liquor permit and those who do not have it will be required to register on the excise department’s website and get a permit number which is made mandatory at the time of placing orders.

A BMC order stated, “Under no circumstances can the sale of liquor over the counter can be permitted.” Association of Progressive Retail Liquor Vendors said that customers can place orders on WhatsApp numbers of the shop-owners, which will be pasted outside their respective shops. Shop-owners to cut costs would utilize their own staff for the delivery. All delivery personnel will be provided POS machines so as to facilitate customers who are short of cash on hand, to transact via debit or credit card. 

Arvind Miskin, the association’s president, said, “Since BMC has given its nod, we will approach the excise department and collector’s office to complete the formalities. We will use our staff for delivery. We hope to start the delivery by Sunday.” 

All designated delivery personnel will be taking utmost precautions; they will use face-masks, gloves and hand-sanitizers and will maintain the social distancing norms provided by the government. They’ll have to be screened daily for COVID-19 and shop owners will have to update the excise department on the delivery personnel’s health. 

Liquor shops had previously opened after government’s permission but had to be shut within 24 hours as large crowds gathered and violated the social distancing guideline.