Odisha: Two food aggregators selected to make home delivery of liquor

Bhubaneswar: While booze lovers are eagerly waiting to place their orders after the Excise department allowed home delivery of alcohol from tomorrow, another piece of good news will definitely make them to jump from their seat. The Excise department today chose two food aggregators to make home delivery of alcohol.

Odisha Excise Commissioner Anjan Kumar Manik said Zomato and Swiggy have been permitted to make home delivery of liquor after they seek the permission.

While Zomato will operate in Municipal Corporations of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Berhampur as well as Puri Municipality, Swiggy will participate in home delivery of liquor in Municipal Corporations of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur and Rourkela, the Excise Commissioner said.

The liquor products and alcoholic beverages would, however, be sold at a higher price than it was being available prior to Covid19 pandemic. The Odisha government introduced a special Covid fee in which the MRPs of all types of foreign liquor and beer have been hiked by 50 %.

Official sources said the additional revenue generated from liquor sales would go towards treatment of Covid19 patients and other related activities.

The liquor shops will display their phone/mobile/WhatsApp number/email id/UPI details for receiving the orders and facilitating digital payments outside their shop, said an official.