The people living in Maharashtra can now order liquor online and have it delivered to their doorstep.
With hopes to curb the cases of drunken driving, the Maharashtra government has decided to allow the online sale and home delivery of liquor in the state.
However, it’s not yet clear when the decision would come into effect.
“We want to curb the instances of drunken driving. Allowing home delivery of liquor will help in this,” Excise Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule told PTI on Sunday.
Increasing the revenue was also a prime objective behind the decision, a senior official in the excise department told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
Established e-commerce companies were expected to enter this segment, the official added.
Due to the Supreme Court’s order, the government is losing sizable excise tax due to closure of around 3,000 liquor outlets located near the highways, he said.
In 2017-18, excise duty contributed Rs 15,343 crore to the state’s treasury.
Also, the reduction in prices of petrol and diesel earlier this month has caused some strain on the state’s treasury, he added.
He further said that the online sale and home delivery of liquor is expected to generate more revenue.
