Highway' liquor vends in city limits can now reopen

Close to two months after liquor vends on national highways were shut, the state government on Thursday issued orders to enable those within municipal limits to resume business.

Pubs and bars in Bengaluru's MG Road area, which closed down to comply with a December 15, 2016 Supreme Court order, will resume operations after licences that expired on June 30 are renewed.

A July 11 Supreme Court order exempted stretches of highways within municipal limits from the liquor ban. M G Road is officially a national highway.

I S N Prasad, additional chief secretary, finance department, under whom the excise department falls, told DH the orders were issued 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 said.

900 vends closed
As many as 900 liquor vends including 400 in the central business district, had remained closed in Bengaluru from July 1.

Many employees had left for their native places, seeing no future here.

“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,” said Ashok Sadhwani, proprietor of Pub World and Couch.

He said the long weekend break, starting with Ganesh Chaturthi on Friday, was another reason for business not resuming earlier.

“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,” said Ashish Kothari, president of the Association of Bars and Restaurants, Pubs and Hotels, Bengaluru.

Govindraj Hegde, Wine Merchants Association president, said renewing a licence calls for Rs 4.6 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, depending on the location.

"Proprietors will have to get clarity on the rates before opening their counters," he said.


Open next week
Pubs, bars and restaurant owners are happy with the state government's orders, and expect to be back in business by next Wednesday .


Spirits story

* December 15, 2016: Supreme Court orders implementation of the ban on liquor vends within 0.5 km of national highways.

* July 1, 2017: Pubs, bars and liquor shops near highways close down to obey order. (Licences lapse on June 30.)

* July 11: Supreme Court upholds Chandigarh order redesignating its highways as city roads.

* August 23: July 11 verdict published on the court website, clarifies stretches within city exempted from ban.

* August 24: Karnataka signs orders to enable liquor vends to reopen.