The Maharashtra government has decided to introduce the online sale and home delivery of liquor, according to Hindustan Times.
The move is reportedly an effort to curb drunken driving in the state.
Excise Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said,
“We want to curb the instances of drunken driving. Allowing home delivery of liquor will help in this.”
There’s no fixed date on when this will come into effect.
However, according to an insider in the excise department, this is actually being done to increase revenue, and enter e-commerce companies into the segment.
The government has been losing considerable excise tax due to the closure of around 3000 liquor outlets located near the highways, which was a Supreme Court order. The reduction in prices of petrol and diesel earlier this month had also caused strain on the state’s treasury.
He claims this move is a way to generate more revenue.