Liquor shops across Delhi will operate at reduced timings over the weekend, closing at 8pm instead of the usual 10pm, as the Delhi government has imposed precautionary restrictions in view of the ongoing students’ protest at Jantar Mantar.
According to Delhi government officials, the decision was taken based on inputs from the Delhi Police, which cited the need for additional preventive measures to maintain law and order in the central Delhi area.
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Officials said that the temporary change in working hours is aimed at preventing any untoward incidents during the protest period.
A similar situation was witnessed on Thursday, when many liquor stores across the city were closed earlier than usual without any prior public announcement. The unexpected closure has left many customers unable to purchase alcoholic beverages and forced them to return empty-handed.
According to officials, the early closure of liquor stores is purely a precautionary measure and is part of the government’s efforts to ensure public safety and maintain law and order during the ongoing demonstrations.
Unless further orders are issued, liquor stores are expected to resume their normal closing time of 10pm after the weekend.
