No more godly names for Goa bars

 Holding out the argument that drinking is anathema to things holy, Goa has decided to come down heavily on bars named after gods, deities and religious figures.

A notification issued by the State’s finance department has banned the use of religious names for restaurants and bars serving liquor, after a resolution moved by BJP leader Manohar Parrikar got the approval of the state assembly last year. Though the law is now in place, implementing it may not be as easy. The State’s excise department has asked the government to define what constitutes religious names.

A number of bars that carry godly or saintly names have been around for years. They will have to change the name of their premises when they come for a renewal of licence, Excise commissioner Sandip Jacques said. Goa has 6,500 bars, apart from retail liquor outlets. An annual bar licence fee for non-luxury premises costs as little as Rs 20,000. A 24-hour bar licence carries an annual fee of Rs 1.5 lakh.