The Maharashtra government on Sunday announced that shops selling non-essential commodities, including liquor, will be allowed to open from Monday in the COVID-19 non-containment zones. After the announcement by the state, five districts 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 Disaster Management Act, and to prevent any further spread of the coronavirus infection," said a collector from one of these districts.
The Buldhana and Amravati administrations have also decided to continue with prohibition on liquor sale till May 17 and only allow sale of essential commodities, sources said.
Liquor is a major source of revenue for Maharashtra, which earned about ₹45,000 crore in the form of taxes on it in 2019-20, an official from state excise department said.