Bengaluru: Pubs, bars and restaurant owners are happy with the state government’s issuing orders on Thursday, August 24 to enable those within municipal limits to resume business and expect to be back in business by this month end.

Close to two months after pubs and bars on national highways remained closed, the state government issued orders to signal their re-opening.

Following Supreme Court order dated December 15, 2016, the Pubs and bars in Bengaluru’s MG Road area that remained closed will resume business after licences that expired on June 30 are renewed.

This comes in the wake Supreme Court order dated July 11 exempting stretches of highways within municipal limits from the liquor ban.

Additional chief secretary, finance department, under whom the excise department falls, I S N Prasad, confirmed issuance of orders on Thursday evening.

Law minister T B Jayachandra said the government was acting swiftly, now that it had legal and administrative clarity.

“We got the order copy on Wednesday night. Processing the licences will start from Monday. Those who sought permission had three months to shift their outlets will also be given the option of continuing where they are,” he said.

The excise department had referred the Supreme Court order to the law department.

Deputy Commissioners will process the excise licences, Prasad clarified.

City will spring back to life soon

As many as 900 liquor pubs and bars including 400 in the central business district had remained closed in Bengaluru effective July 1.

Reacting on the order Ashish Kothari, president of the Association of Bars and Restaurants, “Since about 80% of us had already paid our fees, renewals will not take too long. Once the licences are renewed, we will open immediately.”
Many employees are set to return from their native places, who had earlier left the city seeing no future.

Happy with the outcome, Ashok Sadhwani, proprietor of Pub World and Couch said “But now life will return to normal and the city will come back to life. All those who had gone home will come back and we hope to be back in business from next Wednesday”

Renewing a licence may cost around Rs 4.6 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, depending on the location, said Govindraj Hegde, Wine Merchants Association president, said.

“Proprietors will have to get clarity on the rates before opening their counters,” he added.