Those who like their tipple in the city can expect to quench their two-month-long thirst as the state government has in its guidelines allowed the sale of liquor from Wednesday.

However, the going may not be exactly smooth as the authorities want to avoid crowding at liquor jobs to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Though assistant commissioner of state excise department Manoj Kumar confirmed the government’s nod to start the sale of liquor, he emphasised that they are still working on the modalities on how to go about it.

“The state government has given the nod, but the ball is in the court of the excise department. We are busy formulating a plan on how to go ahead with the liquor sale amid this pandemic. Once we sort out the modalities, we will need permission from the East Singhbhum deputy commissioner and will issue the order for sale,” said Manoj, quickly adding that an instruction from the department would be issued soon.

A senior officer with the Jharkhand excise office in Jamshedpur, however, said the department is in favour of starting online as well as offline sale. “Under the online mode liquor will be delivered at home through Swiggy or Zomato. And those willing to buy liquor can do that by visiting the liquor shops but they will have to maintain social distance on the basis of a token system,” said the official. The official said the sale may begin from Thursday.

Across the steel city, however, expectations ran high on Tuesday when liquor shop staff were seen marking circles in front of their shops. Satnam Singh, 45, a Baradwari resident, said: “Marking circles means the shops will open soon.”

However, on Tuesday, after an initial flurry of posts on social media that licensed liquor shops have opened in the city, people who went in search of their tipple to shops in Sakchi, Bistupur and other places, found them closed.