Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district has a new rule – liquor shops are now going to sell alcohol only to those who have received both the jabs of Covid-19 vaccine.
When asked if people would lie about being fully vaccinated to buy liquor, Khandwa District Excise officer RP Kirar said,” In my own experience in India, those who drink do not lie”.
RP Kirar said that operators have been asked to verbally check with customers before selling liquor. “He does not need to show a (vaccine) certificate. The customer can tell if he has got both the doses or not,” the official is heard saying in a video that has been shared multiple times on social media.
The move comes as vaccination drive across Madhya Pradesh has been witnessing a slowdown since mid-October. Health department officials have blamed the drop on the festive season and rural population being busy with the harvest of the kharif crop and sowing of rabi crop.
Concerned over the drop in vaccinations, the health department asked all departments in the state to help out in attaining vaccination targets.
Madhya Pradesh aims to vaccinate 5.49 crore people by December 25. As of last week, 5.2 crore people had received single dose while 2.31 crore had received both jabs.
