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
what your forefather done, slave of british or licking british boot... muslims fought hard for this country
did your father borns to godse...then you are najaaes aulad!!!
Your father was traitor...who is licking british boot from long time... as i told you last time 80% dog is nothing in front of 15% lion in forest.. i hope you got my point
what is the contribution of HEGDE community to Karnataka .!!!!
People who have not done anything for Mysore or Karnataka, Just Spread Lies, Hatred,and follow the Britishers policy of DIVIDE AND RULE.
JAI HIND , JAI KARNATAKA
Send these rss chaddidaars behind bar for atleast 12 months period. All will leave peace fully.
Tipu was the only one King who fought till his last breathe against british. He was a big treat to British invader which Is still rememered by the Brishers and written in British history. In his kingdom he respected all religion and their worship place. His administration was with all religions. He never spared any single british supporters in some part of MYSORE greedy people supported the Britisher's to enter our Country and cheated the great king. Fact's are trying to erase from the real history and nothing else. But facts never hidden at any cost by any one. Jai Hind Jai Karnataka! Long Live United India
What did Tipu do in India?? Looted all money, attacked many Hindus and Hindu temple and still court supporting people who stands for tipu
There were many deregatory comments against Godse. Why court not taking action against that.
Total injustice. Tipu was a traitor.
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