Now, Maharashtra govt makes u-turn on online liquor sale

Mumbai, Oct 14: After several social activists protested against the move, Maharashtra government on Sunday backtracked on its plan to facilitate home delivery of liquor.

According to a report by the Times of India, the Minister of State for Excise Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, that the move could be a "game changer" for the alcohol industry. The home delivery of liquor would be facilitated through e-commerce firms, just like how citizens are getting groceries and vegetables in their home.

Meanwhile, a final decision is yet to be announced on the issue.

Activist Paromita Goswami, who is leading a campaign for a complete ban on liquor in the state, expressed unhappiness over the government's proposed move.

According to a report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), drunk driving accounted for 1.5% of all road accidents in 2015. Such accidents also had the highest number of fatality rates. Around 42% of victims involved in such accidents died compared to 30% and 33% in cases of speeding and reckless driving, respectively.