Chhattisgarh Guv urges CM to prevent alcohol-related crimes during coronavirus lockdown

Chhattisgarh Governor Anusuiya Uikey has asked Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to take a policy decision to prevent alcohol-related crimes during the COVID-19 lockdown in the state, an official said on Tuesday.

In a letter to Baghel, the governor raised concerns about incidents of drunk people misbehaving with journalists, officials, health personnel and sanitation workers during the lockdown, a release issued by the Raj Bhavan said.

"At a time when the administration and police machinery were battling the COVID-19 pandemic, such acts by drunk people with criminal tendencies, weaken the morale of corona warriors and common people," she said in the letter.

Apart from this, incidents of domestic violence due to alcoholism have also increased and this needs to be checked effectively, she added.

The governor urged the Chief Minister to take an appropriate policy decision to prevent such offences, the release stated.

Notably, in a memorandum to the governor, the opposition BJP on Monday had urged her to direct the state government to ban the sale of liquor in the state and withdraw its decision facilitating home delivery of alcohol.

Liquor outlets, which were shut since March when the lockdown was imposed, were reopened on May 4 everywhere, except in COVID-19 containments zones in the state.