Bangalore: Welcome New Year in Style as Bars, Restaurants to Stay Open till 1 am
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Dec 28: Cheers! Here’s good news for the tipplers and all those who would like to welcome New Year 2012 in style with their favourite brand of booze as Karnataka’s Excise Department has decided to permit all bars and restaurants in Bangalore City and all other cities in the State to stay open till 1 am on the eve of the New Year 2012.
The State Excise Department has directed Deputy Commissioners of all districts to permit bars and restaurants to keep open till 1 am on the eve of New Year, Excise Minister M P Renukacharya announced in Bangalore on Wednesday.
However, there is a small catch: The owners of bars and restaurants will have to obtain permissions from deputy commissioners of the respective districts in advance by paying fee of Rs. 11,500.
Deputy Commissioners across the State are expected to receive nearly 400 applications seeking permission to extend the time deadline.
Renukacharya, who held a high-level meeting with officials of the department in Bangalore to take stock of the situation, said liquor sale would be up by 10 per cent in December on account of Christmas and also the New Year celebrations.
Special teams have been constituted to book cases against owners who keep restaurants beyond the permitted time limit, he said making it clear that violators of the norm without obtaining prior permission by paying the prescribed fee would be dealt with severely.
Sale of beer and Indian Made Liquor recorded a growth of 14.10 per cent and 6.02 per cent, respectively so far in 2011-12.
A total of 345.98 lakh boxes of IML and 145.90 lakh boxes of beer have been sold as on December 27 in this financial year.
The last year’s sale of IML and beer stood at 326.32 lakh boxes and 127.87 lakh boxes, respectively.
The excise revenue recorded at Rs. 6534 crore against Rs. 5523 crore as on December 27, last year, an increase of Rs. 1011 crore.
''Nearly 71 per cent of the revenue target has been achieved so far,’’ Renukacharya said.
Stating that hike in prices, increased consumption and crackdown on illicit liquor manufacturing centers resulted in increase in the sale of IML and beer this year, the Minister said,
He said the number of spurious centers have been reduced from 1930 to 460 in less than a year. A good number spurious liquor manufacturing centres still existed in Bagalkote, Bijapur and Belgaum districts, the minister added.