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Bengaluru: The state government has decided to allow liquor sale in the state with some riders from May 4 onwards.

Liquor shops can be opened, said the government, adding that even petty pan shops can start functioning.

However, bars and restaurants can only provide parcel services and will have to follow the guidelines strictly.

Bars and restaurants will have to ensure that not more than five people are waiting for the parcel at a time. The customers will have to stand in queues while maintaining a six-foot distance from each other.

While the rules issued by the government did not mention the zones in which liquor sales will be allowed, a clarification was issued later, where it was specified that liquor shops will be allowed to open in the green and orange zones only.

According to a reported by The News Minute, some Ministry of Home Affairs reporters have said that only stand-alone liquor stores will be allowed to open in red zones, however, liquor stores in containment zones will not be permitted to open.

A clarification on this is, however, still awaited.

In Karnataka, the Central Government has identified three districts as “red zones”- Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural and Mysuru.