Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Official bars from June

By Radha Venkatesan

CHENNAI MAY 16. With nameboards displaying in bold letters, ``liquor-ruins country, family and life'', bars at liquor shops in Tamil Nadu will become official from June.

As many as 2643 out of 4251 eligible retailers have applied for bar licences and the Excise and Prohibition department will provide permits by month-end.

After a crackdown on illegal bars, retailers, particularly in districts, are now coming up with a ``spirited response'' to the AIADMK Government's decision to allow bars in wine shops.

Turning its prohibition policy topsy turvy, the AIADMK regime announced in its 2002-2003 budget on March 27 that bars would be permitted in Corporations, municipalities and town panchayats.

According to the Tamil Nadu Liquor (Retail Vending in Bar) Rules, 2002 issued on April 23, ``there has been a persistent demand from consumers of Indian-Made Foreign Liquor that they do not find a suitable place to sit and drink''. The Government ``carefully examined'' the demand and decided to allow opening of the bars.

However, the licensed bars can serve drinks only from 8 a.m to 11 p.m. They should be located within the shop or in an adjoining minimum plinth area of 15 square metres. And, the bars should be housed in ``pucca buildings'' and shall not have thatched roofs or walls.

Besides, the licence fee of Rs. 2,500 and a security deposit of Rs. 50,000, a privilege amount of Rs. 3 lakhs has to be paid by wine shops in Corporation areas, Rs. 2 lakhs in municipalities and Rs. 1 lakh in town panchayats.

Though the retailers claimed that the ``privilege amount'' was high, the Government has decided not to reduce the fee.

But the response from Chennai retailers is yet to pick up. In North Chennai, only 121 out of 348 shops have so far paid the licence fee while in South Chennai, 141 out of 320 retailers have applied for bars.

The reason could be the rampant existence of ``illegal'' bars in the city shops, concede officials. Hence, the Prohibition Enforcement Wing has further revved up its crackdown on the ``unofficial'' bars. Similarly, only 50 per cent of the 201 eligible liquor shops have sought permission for shops.

In sharp contrast, in the Madurai Corporation, 80 out of 93 retailers have sought permission for bars and only 10 retailers have not paid the licence fee in Tiruchi.

Interestingly in Salem, one of the hooch-tragedy prone districts, 49 out of 54 retailers in the Corporation area have applied for licence.

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