Maharashtra's Solapur, Aurangabad, Jalna, Buldhana, Amravati districts will not allow liquor sale

A day after the Maharashtragovernment said shops selling non-essential commodities,including liquor, will be allowed to open from Monday in the COVID-19 non-containment zones, five districts in the state have decided not to permit liquor sale.


Administrations of Solapur, Aurangabad, Jalna,Buldhana and Amravati districts have issued instructions that liquor shops will not be allowed to open.

"The decision is taken in adherence to the DisasterManagement Act, and to prevent any further spread of the coronavirus infection," a collector from one of these districts told on Monday.

The Buldhana and Amravati administrations have alsodecided to continue with prohibition on liquor sale till May17 and only allow sale of essential commodities, sources said.

Besides, several liquor manufacturing and bottlingunits located in Aurangabad can resume production, but thedistrict administration has prohibited its sale.

The Nagpur civic body has also decided not to allowliquor sale in the city municipal limits, a senior districtofficial said.

It is the civic body's decision and there are "no suchinstructions from the Nagpur district collector, which wouldmean liquor sale is prohibited in the city limits but allowedin rural areas," he said.

Liquor is a major source of revenue for Maharashtra,which earned about Rs 45,000 crore in the form of taxes on itin 2019-20, an official from state excise department said.