The government received a sea of online requests for alcohol permits after the Coronavirus-induced lockdown shut liquor shops for most of 2020 across Maharashtra. Between April and December 27, the number of permits issued was 150 times more compared to the same period a year ago.

The excise department gave liquor permits to 1,59,262 people in the past nine months against 10,603 licences between April and December of 2019. That translates to a mind-boggling 1,400 per cent increase, said officials.