Meghalaya govt allows home delivery of liquor on health grounds

Meghalaya government has allowed home delivery of liquor to those who need it on health grounds against medical prescription issued by a registered medical practitioner. The government allowed bonded warehouses to sell and provide home delivery of liquor till April 14.

As the nation-wide coronavirus lockdown entered its seventh day, Assam announced a slew of measures aimed at relief for the poor while the Meghalaya government allowed home delivery of liquor to those who need it on health grounds. So far, only two cases of COVID-19 infection have been reported from the northeast.“The state government has approved home delivery of liquor on health grounds strictly against medical prescription issued by the registered medical practitioner,” a letter written on Monday by B Syiemlieh, Deputy Secretary, Excise, Registration, Taxation, and Stamps department to Commissioner (Excise) Meghalaya said.

The government allowed bonded warehouses to sell and provide home delivery of liquor till April 14. As per the guidelines, there will be an online platform where customers (21 years and above) can upload their medical prescription and order the liquor from the warehouse in their respective districts.

Meanwhile, in Assam, the government announced that 58 lakh families would be given free rice under the National Food Security Act from April 1. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting on Monday night. Moreover, the government will also provide one-time cash assistance of Rs 1,000 for families without NFSA card.

Around 2.7 lakh registered construction workers of the state would also be given Rs 1,000 each as one-time assistance. Keeping in mind the annual floods in the region, the government has decided to speed up embankment construction and repair work from April 1.

The Sarbananda Sonowal government also announced certain relaxations amid the lockdown. Farming and tea gardens activities, including plucking of leaves, will be allowed from April 1 provided that the instructions and guidelines of the Health department are followed. Rice mills, flour mills, and biscuit factories will be allowed to function.