Lucknow, May 5: A record quantity of liquor valued at over Rs 100 crore was sold in Uttar Pradesh on Monday - the first day of liquor shops reopening after 40 days of lockdown. Long queues were seen outside liquor shops across Uttar Pradesh. Social distancing went for a toss after a flood of people flocked to buy alcohol after a long dry spell. Many shop owners had to shut by afternoon after they ran out of stock. Decision to Allow Liquor Sale During Lockdown is Anti-public: CPI.

As part of easing lockdown restricts, liquor shops reopened across the country, including red zones but not in hotspots, declared as coronavirus containment zones. According to UP excise department officials, a sale of over Rs 100 crore was recorded on Monday - a sharp rise from an average daily sale of Rs 70-80 crore, Times of India reported. In the state capital Lucknow, alcohol worth Rs 6.3 crore was sold within four-five hours. Liquor Prices Shoot Up in Delhi, Govt Levies 70% Tax as 'Special Corona Fees' on MRP to Mitigate COVID-19 Impact.

Long Queues Outside Liquor Shop in Uttar Pradesh:

Long queues were reported outside liquor shops across the country. Karnataka recorded sale of alcohol with Rs 45 crore on the first day of reopening of liquor shops across the state. In Delhi, the AAP government imposed "Special Corona Fees" of 70 percent tax on the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of the liquor. The announcement came after government revenue has been hit hard due to the coronavirus-forced lockdown.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 05, 2020 08:56 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).