The Etawah administration in Uttar Pradesh has found a novel idea to promote the Covid vaccination drive. Notices that say "No liquor without vaccine certificate" have been prominently displayed outside liquor outlets in Sefai in Etawah district.
The notices were put up at the direction of Etawah Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Hem Kumar Singh. ADM Singh, along with district police officials, inspected liquor outlets in Sefai after the Aligarh hooch tragedy where over 50 people died after consuming spurious liquor over the weekend.
ADM Hem Kumar Singh directed liquor outlets to display notices clearly stating that alcohol will not be sold to anyone who is yet to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Owners of liquor outlets were also warned against selling liquor to customers without verifying their vaccination certificates.
However, Etawah district excise official Kamal Kumar Shukla said no order has been issued to stop the sale of liquor to those who are yet to receive the jab. He went on to add that the district administration's efforts to shore up inoculations must be encouraged but there are no orders mandating vaccine certificates for the purchase of liquor.
Salaries to be withheld
The Etawah ADM's order comes days after the district magistrate of Firozabad had said salaries of government employees will be withheld unless they receive the jab. Uttar Pradesh has set a target of administering one crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines in the month of June.
In order to achieve this target, district officials in the state are implementing novel ideas to promote vaccination.
