Liquor to be served till 1 am on New Year eve in bars

Hyderabad: In a good news for boozers in Telangana, the State government has decided to extend timings for bars, pubs and liquor shops on New Year's Eve.

Liquor stores and wine shops are allowed to stay open till midnight, according to a memo issued by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar on December 20.

The Telangana government has granted permission to retail alcohol stores to remain open until midnight on December 31, 2022. Bars and other restaurants that serve liquor can remain open till 1 am, the State government further said.

In a memo signed by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, the Revenue Department said that "after careful consideration of the matter," permission was being accorded to the Director, Prohibition & Excise, Hyderabad, "to permit license holders of 2B (Bars), C1 (In-house), EP1 (Event permit) and TD1(In-house) licensees of Tourism Development Corporation, to serve liquor up to 1 am on the intervening night of December 31, 2022 and January 1, 2023." The memo further added that those with A4 licenses (Retail shops) can remain open up to midnight on December 31, subject to observance of COVID-19 safety protocol.