Bengaluru, May 4: Booze lovers ushered in the resumption of liquor sales in a spirited fashion in Karnataka onMonday thronging stores hours before shutters went up at severalplaces and made no secret of their celebratory mood.
At some places, they flocked liquor shops even before day-break and performed "special prayers" with flowers, coconuts,incense sticks, camphor and crackers in front of the stores.
Liquor outlets had been shut in the State from March 25 following the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Excise revenue loss during the period was about Rs 2,500 crore, according to government sources.
About 4,500 standalone liquor outlets (CL-2 and CL- 11licence holders), which comprise wine stores and those owned bystate-run Mysore Sales International Limited, outside containmentzones were allowed to be opened from Monday from 9 am to 7 pm withsome restrictions.
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These include customers compulsorily wearing of facemasks andmaintaining social distancing with not more than five people inside liquor shops.
Many customers were indeed well-prepared.
At many places, they came with umbrella, raincoat, newspapers and books and queued up as early as 3 am.
At a liquor shop in Salegame Road in Hassan, the tipplers lit the traditional lamp and incense sticks, performed 'aarati'with camphor and decorated the store with the garland of flowers.
With folded hands, they all performed 'special prayers'.
In Mandya, the tipplers queued up before Martaanda liquor shop before dawn.
An hour before the sales were to resume, a few people burst crackers in celebration.
Some tipplers in Belagavi were more "enterprising."
They wentto a liquor store on Sunday night itself, performed special prayersand placed their "representatives" in the form of slippers, bags and stones in the "social distancing boxes" they themselves had drawn sothat they don't have to stand in queue in the morning.
An elderly woman Dakamma was the centre of attraction in Shivamogga.
The bent body did not bend the determination of this spirited lady, claimed to be 96-year-old, who was heard saying "liquor is goodfor health."
At the taluk headquarters town of Brahmavara in the coastal Udupi district, the queue of the booze lovers was reported to be almost half-a-kilometre.
Long queues were seen at liquor stores at Mariyappana Palya and K R Puram, among others, in Bengaluru.
The store managers too were no less cautious while dealing with customers in the COVID era.
They let the customers enter after spraying sanitisers in their hands, and allowed only those who hadworn masks and maintained social distancing.
To maintain law and order, authorities had deployed policemen in good numbers at these stores and they were seen on duty ensuring that customers maintained social distancing.
Comments
Madam, please remove the zero which you added by mistake.
one bachali is telling central investigation agency also working anthe ... papa enu madakke agalla .. madrasa training effect .. tale odedare naalku akshara iralla ivakke 4 illi , mele 72 reserve bere ... hahaha ... sadya mossad hesaru helalilla ... hoganna kabbadii adu hogu ... fish sales mugididre ... hahaha
Nobody can stop us from grabbing the power , we will show the mighty power when election is nearing it ... shobakka no need to reveal . it is done we will get 150 at any cost ... permanently we should send the khangrace to their home .. becoz jihadists are using it as cover .
Pokkade?
At least Start Master Bhagawat Programme to produce more than 10kids, get marry more than one, Shobakka why are you not Co operating with your Great leaders request, now you looks like 50's above can not produce more at least try your level best to do something for Master Bhagath's request do not Bark Fate of Kannadigas now!!!!!! we will see when battle starts, Till then you co ordinate your Criminal RSS Sabb.
Jai Hind.
Jai Hoo Modianna
Jai Hoo Siddanna.
keep dreaming everyday!!! utter loss this year.
shobakka, the central intelligence agency is working for bjp rss and vhp.
people will decide who will come to power....
I think shoba had a bad dream last night... Come on Shoba Wake up wake up.. Stop dreaming and get back to some work.
What a Joke, Shobakka should join Comedy Circus.Thank god she did not mention Yeddy as C.M and akka as Deputy C.M.
Shobha learnt Jothishya Shastra?
Dil ke behlane ko Ghalib, ye khayal accha hain.
HA ha ha ha ha ha ha
\DREAM GIRL\""
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