Image Source: NEWS 18

The Maharashtra excise department has decided to start an online token system on a pilot basis for sale of liquor in Pune city to avoid crowding at shops. The move comes after tipplers gathered in large numbers outside liquor shops at several places in the state last week, defying the physical distancing norms to contain the spread of coronavirus. Under the new system, a person can get a token by registering on the state excise departments portal and then go to the shop to buy liquor, a senior department official said on Monday. Only those who get the token can go to the shop and buy liquor. It will help in preventing long queues of people outside liquor shops. Huge crowds outside shops put a lot of pressure on the state administration to enforce physical distancing, he said. The government plans to issue a limited number of tokens for liquor sale to avoid crowding on streets, he said. The system will be started on a pilot basis in Pune city and if found successful, it will be replicated in other parts of the state, he added.