After a week's hiatus, sale of alcoholic beverages resumed in non-containment zones of Tamil Nadu on Saturday amid police security, except in the state capital Chennai and neighbouring Tiruvallur.
In stark contrast to the chaotic scenes witnessed in front of many liquor shops days ago, a number of outlets in the state were deserted today with little or no people to buy booze and social media users posted pictures of such shops.
The crowds were moderate as well in several locations in districts, including Coimbatore.
Serpentine queues were seen in most shops.
Anticipating an extended waiting time, many men had brought lunch boxes and water bottles.
Use of masks and norms like social distancing were followedin a vast majority of places and and even hand sanitisers werekept for use in many shops.
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Confusion, meanwhile, prevailed for a while at Cuddalore when it was suspected that some men had photocopied original tokens to illegally buy liquor.
As part of measures to avoid crowding and ensure social distancing, authorities implemented colour-coded token system (in seven colours including blue, green, orange, navy blue, and violet)that specified the date and time allotted for the buyers at a designated outlet.
To prevent unmanageable crowds witnessed in several places when the shops reopened on May 7 after a 43-day dry spell, the authorities limited the number of tokens per day to 500 and 70 for an hour.
The shops functioned from 10 am to 5 pm.
Adequate police personnel were deployed to regulate crowds and tokens were distributed at separate locations away from the liquor shops and only those who had the coloured slips were allowed to buy beverages at the outlets.
Across the state, booze sale went on at a brisk pace as men sporting masks stood in serpentine queues maintaining individual distance in most places.
In Cuddalore, when over a dozen men lined up before an outlet with tokens, authorities were puzzled since the maximum number of 500 had already been issued.
It was initially thought that the tokens were colour photocopies of original tokens.
On further scrutiny, it was revealed that the 'blue' slips were original.
"When we questioned these men, one of them said he bought the token for Rs 200. Previously, it was thought that the tokens werecolour photocopies.
But TASMAC authorities say that they are genuine," a Cuddalorepolice officer told PTI.
Two other officers confirmed that the tokens were original.
On how these tokens made their way when the upper ceiling was already reached, the police officers said, "these may be extra tokens or there is a possibility that some could have taken the originals and illegally sold them."
Several men were seen standing with umbrellas in districts like Erode, Tirupur and at Madurantakam in Kancheepuram district.
The liquor sale is open across the state in non- containment zones and except Chennai and nearby Tiruvallur district, which saw a huge number of people converging in several outlets when shops reopened on May 7.
The shops functioned only for two days (barring Chennai and a string of neighbourhoods under city police control though they fell under Chengelpet, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts) and were shut since May 9 following the Madras High Court directive, which ordered closure of shops over flouting of guidelines like social distancing.
At least 34 outlets in nearby Chengelpet district, including those in Mamallapuram, Tiruporur, Tirukazhukundram and Vadanemelli that saw huge crowds on May 7 and 8 were also closed today.
Additional police personnel were deployed at exit/entry points to Chennai to prevent people from venturing out of here to neighbouring Kancheepuram district to buy booze.
On May 9, the Tamil Nadu government had moved the Supreme Court, challenging the Madras HighCourt order closing the shops.
The apex court on Friday stayed the order and paved the way for resumption of liquor salein Tamil Nadu through TASMAC.
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