Liquor
Representative photo. Image credit - www.businesstoday.in

If you need liquor on health grounds, the Meghalaya government will make home delivery of the same on demand.

This has come to light in an order issued on Monday to the commissioner of excise, Meghalaya by the deputy secretary to the Meghalaya government, excise, registration, taxation and stamps department.

In the order, the deputy secretary to the Meghalaya government said the “Meghalaya government has approved home delivery of liquor on health grounds strictly against medical prescriptions issued by the registered medical practitioner.”

“Bonded warehouses may be allowed to sell and provide home delivery of liquor as a special case with immediate effect up to 14th April, 2020 (midnight) until further orders” to customers who are 21 years old and above.

According to the order, the customer can “log in and upload the medical prescription for the delivery of liquor to his residence from the bonded warehouse, in the respective district and the warehouse in turn, obtain the approval of the officer in the charge of excise, bonded warehouse and delivers the liquor to the customer on request upon payment of all dues.”

The commissioner of excise has been requested to “issue detailed instruction to the bonded warehouses and excise officials regarding the modalities of home delivery of liquor by the bonded warehouses to the customers upon request, strictly on health grounds,” the order said.

The order further said extra service/delivery charge may be allowed to be levied by the bonded warehouses, subject to the maximum charge of Rs 100 within 15 km and Rs 200 beyond 15 km.

“Since the excise Rules do not permit retail sale of liquor by the bonded warehouses, it may be treated as a temporary measure only to cater to the essential health needs of genuine customers.