Hyderabad: Liquor flow to fill government coffers

Hyderabad: A day after 148 people were taken into custody after the raid on a pub in Banjara Hills area, the government is now contemplating to allow flow of liquor in bars and pubs till late night and round-the- clock in five-star hotels located at international airport and big business junctions in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits.

Sources say that this move was aimed at generating more revenue through liquor sales to meet the growing financial needs in the new financial year, and rescue the bar managements which incurred heavy losses due to the corona pandemic.

An order on the new timings of the bars and pubs is likely to be issued shortly. Top officials of the state Excise and Prohibition department said, "revenues generated from the bars are not at expected levels. Hence, the management may be given freehand to run the bars and serve liquor to the visitors even during late nights."

Currently, bars have been permitted to be kept open and serve liquor till 12 am and on Fridays and Saturdays till 1 am. Now, they would be permitted to serve liquor till 1 am on normal days and till 2 am on weekends.

The pubs and bars in the five-star hotels will be permitted to remain open round-the- clock. This, officials say, was because Hyderabad city had emerged as one of the fast-growing business centres in the country. The number of visitors of international trade managements from different countries were also increasing. To meet their requirements, the top hotels will be allowed to remain open 24 hours at the airport and important trade centres in Hi-Tec city.

This move would bring in good inflows of revenue. One from the additional tax from bars and pubs to keep their outlets open till late night. Second from the increased sales of liquor.

The government may also give permission to keep bars till late night in big municipal corporations like Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam and Nizamabad where the trade activity is picking up and the prospects of liquor parties have increased.