On Monday, citizens of Mumbai and Pune expected liquor shops to open after the government announced shops of non-essential items, including liquor, will be allowed to open in COVID-19 non-containment zones. But the customers were left unhappy, as they remained shut.
The confusion was apparently due to a contradictory communication from the excise department, a shop owner said. A senior state government official said no order has been issued to keep these liquor shops closed.
Tipplers queued up outside liquor shops in Dahisar, Matunga, Santacruz, Malwani, Kandivali and other places since early hours of Monday, but found the outlets closed.
In some areas, police announced that the liquor shops will not open on Monday and asked people to go back home.
In Pune also, people started queuing up outside liquor shops in Kothrud, Sinhgad Road, Vishrantwadi and Deccan areas well before 10 am, but no shop opened.
The excise department and the district administration will issue an order on this, an excise official said.