Shillong (Meghalaya), Mar 31 : Home delivery of liquor on health grounds will be made up to April 14 next for 21 years of age and above.
The government here has approved home delivery of liquor on health grounds strictly against medical prescription issued by a registered medical practitioner.
A letter written by B Syiemlieh, Deputy Secretary, Excise, Registration, Taxation and Stamp department to Commissioner, Excise Meghalaya said the state government has approved “home delivery of liquor on health grounds strictly against medical prescription issued by registered medical practitioner.”
The letter added bonded warehouses may be allowed to sell and provide home delivery of liquor till April 14, the day the ongoing 21-day lockdown to control the spread of Covid-19 is scheduled to end.
As per the plan, the state’s NIC wing will design an online system where those who are 21 years and above can upload their medical prescription and order the liquor from the bonded warehouse in their respective district.
The warehouses have also been allowed to charge a maximum of Rs 100 as delivery fee for 15 kilometres or less and Rs 200 for more than 15 kilometre distance. The letter clarified that it is a temporary provision.
Earlier, Kerala Chief Minister P Vijayan had issued a similar order asking the state’s excise department to provide liquor against valid medical prescription. A minimum of seven deaths have been reported in the state for the want of liquor . All seven deaths were by suicide caused by Corona – related quarantine that prevented people from buying the daily tipple .
This prompted CM, Vijayan to relax the quarantine rules by issuing special passes by liquor from the market against a registered doctors prescription .
