The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Government order on issuing licences to bars creates stir

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Tuesday, Aug 03, 2010
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Government order on issuing licences to bars creates stir

Special Correspondent

Chandrababu Naidu demands immediate withdrawal of the GO

Population-linked guidelines will add 2,000 to 3,000 bars to the existing 1,148 bars: Naidu
Government appears to have vowed to transform State into Madyandhra Pradesh: Chiranjeevi

HYDERABAD: An order issued by the State government on Monday framing rules for eligibility to open fresh bars created consternation among political circles that the flood gates for the outlets were being opened.

The order said one bar was eligible for every 30,000 population in towns up to three lakh population, one bar for every 20,000 population in towns with population between three lakh and seven lakh and one bar for every 12,000 population in towns above seven lakh population.

The order also said that the bar policy shall supplement the already announced policy regarding replacement of non-renewed/cancelled bars as decided by the government earlier.

Excise Commissioner Heeralal Samaria told The Hindu that the order did not contemplate giving any new bars in the State. What it actually meant was to permit new bars sparingly in lieu of non-renewed and cancelled bars. The government had earlier decided not to give fresh licences in lieu of the 20 out of 1,454 bars in the State that were not renewed. The same was being modified now.

Another official said the number of bars would be restricted to around 1,454 despite the order. Their number might go up slightly in the limits of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation because the government had now allowed fresh bars in hotels of three star and above status without any restriction based on population of the place.

Naidu flays policy

Meanwhile, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu strongly opposed the new guidelines issued for licensing bars in the State stating that they would open flood gates for setting up bars now.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday he stated that the population-linked guidelines would add 2,000 to 3,000 bars to the existing 1,148 bars. “The government has no right to make society slaves of liquor. Instead it has the duty to control the flow of liquor keeping in view the health and economic aspects of the poor,” Mr. Naidu said.

He demanded the government to withdraw the GO and announce a policy to control the flow of liquor, reminding that it was the Congress that had promised implementation of phased prohibition in 2004. The GO would also allow more wine shops, he noted.On the other hand, Praja Rajyam president K. Chiranjeevi remarked that by issuing new guidelines for giving licences to bars, the State government appeared to have vowed to transform Andhra Pradesh into “Madyandhra Pradesh.”

He demanded that government change the guidelines, implement prohibition and scrap belt shops.

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