After a span of about seven months, the liquor shops in Uttar Pradesh will now hark back to their original pre-covid timings, which were marked at10 AM to 10 PM. On Tuesday, this order was issued by the Excise Department and it will be applicable to all liquor shops located outside the containment zones in Lucknow and the same goes for other districts in UP as well.
Previously on the 4th of May, liquor shops that were shuttered, were allowed to resume business. However, these stores could operate only till 7 PM then. Subsequently, when the government had announced weekend regulations to arrest the spread, the closure directives were applicable to liquor vends as well.
Wedding & Festive Season to boost sales
In the month of July, liquor shops were allowed to be functional during the weekends but only till 9 PM and now, such rules have been revoked. The general secretary of Liquor Sellers Welfare Association of UP, Kanhaiya Lal Maurya, stated that the decision would help significantly in improving sales.
He mentioned, “It had been several months since liquor shops were being closed at 9 pm. When bars and restaurants are being allowed to function for longer duration, we could not understand why shops had to be closed early. We met senior officials of the Excise Department last week and had requested them to change the timings. The Association welcomes the decision.”
This body has also raised the issue of not being able to meet the license requirements for sales due to the early closure and Maurya further mentioned that now with the commencement of the wedding and festive season, liquor vend owners would be able to make up for the incurred losses.
