’Start drinking from morning’

That's top cop Shankar Bidari's advice to those who are asking for permission to push the last drink order beyond 11.30 pm, asks why extend deadline when liquor is available all day.

'Start drinking from morning'

That's top cop Shankar Bidari's advice to those who are asking for permission to push the last drink order beyond 11.30 pm, asks why extend deadline when liquor is available all day.

The police commissioner is peeved at how Bangalore can ask for permission to push the last drink order beyond 11.30 pm when bars the city open around mid-day.u00a0u00a0"Why seek an extension in timing to drink beyond 11.30 pm (till 1 am) when you can drink all day," Bidari who is convinced that there is no legitimacy for such deadline extension pleas told MiD DAY.

Humka peeni hai:u00a0Bidari's office has cleared requests of seven restaurants,
minus bars, to stay open past mid night. Representation Pic

Bidari explains, "So far only seven restaurants, minus bars, have been granted permission. Eight more applications have come to my office and we are doing our checks on whether we can grant them an extension."

Final order
It may be recalled that Bidari had imposed the 11.30 pm deadline for bars and a midnight closure for restaurants. N K P Abdul Haq, managing partner of Hotel Empire, one of the seven restaurants that have now been granted permission, had ironically moved the Karnataka High Court seeking an extension of timings without much success earlier.

Disagreeing that getting special permission was a cumbersome process, Bidari said, "My office clears requests if the hotel is situated in an area, which is inhabited by persons working in IT/BT establishments, and is in the vicinity of bus stands."

K N Vasudeva Adiga, president of Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association (BBHA), explains, "The restaurants open at 7 am to shut at 11 pm. Right now we don't want an extension. But business in bars starts later in the night, and hence they need extensions. Case by case permissions are being given by the cops, only if there is necessity."

That's unfair!
Abhijit Saha, chef and owner of fine dining restaurants that also serve liquor, says, "Granting licenses to only restaurants that don't serve liquor is unjust. We pay more taxes and license fees and are reeling under the pressure of buying liquor at a high price and selling at lower price than the five star hotels. Now, there is also a 3 per cent service tax that has been levied."

What it takes to remain open till 1 am
*u00a0Owner needs to establish the need to run the restaurant till that hour
* Location of the eatery
* The establishment should not cause a nuisance and public disorder in the area of operation