Bengaluru

SY Meti

NS Megharikh

BJP

Bangalore Mirror

Biere Club

Hello, hangover. Minister approves excise dept’s reward tofor good behaviour; bars will remain open till...Bengaluru’s beer guzzlers and party people have a reason to raise a toast. The city’s pubs and bars will soon be open till 1 am — all through the week. Excise ministerconfirmed that he has already approved a proposal to this effect for a period of one year, initially. This means that a final order is in the end of the pipeline and can pop anytime now.“The file on the proposal had come to me. I have cleared it for a period of one year. Further decision will be taken after this,” said Meti.On June 30, city police commissionerhad renewed an order from last year, allowing hotels, restaurants and all eateries to operate till 1 am throughout the week. Pubs and bars, however, had to conform to the 11.30 pm deadlline. Now, with the excise department’s go-ahead, these might soon enjoy the extended working hours too.The proposal was sent last week to the government for its nod. A high-level meeting was held on July 8, where the proposal was discussed in detail by the department, including the excise minister and top officials. The ball is now in the chief minister’s court.“I have sent a proposal to the government. It is under the government’s consideration,” SR Umashankar, commissioner, state excise department, said in reply to Mirror’s query.Elaborating on the proposal, he said: “It’s on the lines of police commissioner’s order – extending restaurants’ time [till 1 am]. We want to extend bar timings. As their order implies that security, law and order issues [would] be maintained, we have proposed and sought extension, stating that it doesn’t affect us.” The proposal, he said, was for all types of liquor licences.The demand for an extension of the 11.30 pm deadline has been an on-going struggle for years in Bengaluru.Last year, between December 24 and January 1, permission was granted for pubs and bars to stay open till 1 am.A major reason for early closure of bars was the concern over security. Although the city was divided on the issue, certain sections had been campaigning for extended deadline for years, especially when thewas in power in the state from 2008 to 2013, when the 11.30 pm deadline for eateries and pubs came into force. The then government had drawn much ire for its “moral policing”. In March 2014, the government had initially extended the deadline from 11 pm to 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays for a period of three months on a trial basis while allowing eateries to function till 1 am on all weekdays. This happened after several public consultations. As for liquor sale, what had started on a trial basis then, has been on for more than two years now.However, I would like to keep the place open at least on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. And maybe even Thursdays,” he says.Professionals who worked late were the ones who were most affected by the early deadline, concerns over security had been holding the excise department back from extending it to 1 am.The police commissioner’s recent decision to allow eateries to function till 1 am, however, had allayed the excise department’s fear over safety and, hence, the proposal.An excise department source said the department’s proposal was in furtherance to the police department’s order.“The police commissioner’s order… states that the operational timings of licensees selling liquor in bar and restaurants, clubs and hotels under various licences would be governed by the Karnataka Excise Act’s licencing conditions. It is further to this clause that the department is proposing a change in operational timings,” an officer explained.The chief minister, in consultation with excise minister Meti, will take the final, sources said. The proposal, which had been passed through the excise department, will be taken up by the chief minister.The final order, however, will come after consultation with the police department. A separate order will have to be issued by the police department too, a source said.Owners of the city’s pubs and bars are cautiously enthusiastic. While they’re happy about the extended hours, they point out that it would require some preparedness from their own side.Arvind Raju, owner of Biere Club, a popular brewery in the city, says they would like to test waters before taking a decision. “We are planning to do a trial run to understand customer behaviour. Staying open till 1 am for seven days a week will add to our cost. Therefore, we need to see the kind of revenue we earn from the other days of the week.