Bengaluru: The State government is likely to crack the whip on the watering holes in the State, which are located close to educational and religious institutions and government offices, in violation of Rule 5 of the Karnataka Excise Licences (General Conditions) Rules, 1967.
According to official sources, the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) in its meeting on May 6 with senior State Excise officers asked them to take stringent steps to regulate Rule 5 of the KE Licences (General Conditions) Rules and remove liquor stores, pubs and bars, which are within 100 metres radius of any religious and educational institution or hospital or any office of the State Government or Central Government within 15 days from the issuance of directions from the government.
The government direction is likely to be issued today. “The directions will be conveyed to Deputy Excise Commissioners, who will have to give an undertaking to the Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of each district that they would execute the government order,” said an official source.
Though Rule 5 strictly prohibits location of liquor stores, pubs, bars and clubs within 100 metres radius of religious and educational institutions and residential localities, where the inhabitants predominantly belong to SC/STs, hundreds of watering holes have mushroomed in gross violation of the rules.
Meanwhile, in another significant development the Excise Commissioner has asked the Excise licencees to renew their licences before the month end. The liquor vendors normally renew their licences only by June end; just before the commencement of the new Excise financial year in July.
“Rule 5 (A) of the KE Act (Sale of Indian Made Foreign Liquor), 1968 clearly lays down that a licencee should apply for renewal of licence one month prior to the completion of the licence period but there has been gross indiscipline on the issue,” said an official source.
