Bhubaneswar: Licensed open foreign liquor shops in Bhubaneswar will no longer be permitted to host dance performances within their premises. The orders are issued by the Excise Commissioner.
Additionally, any open foreign liquor licensed shops with an additional bar outside their approved premises have been ordered to close immediately. Signboards for liquor shops on national and state highways must also be removed without delay.
The District Superintendent of Bhubaneswar issued directives on Monday to all Superintendents, Inspectors, and Police Station Officers to take strict action against license holders violating the Act.
On Tuesday, hundreds of bar dancers protested at the office of the Excise commissioner, objecting to the closure of dance bars.
One bar dancer expressed her distress, stating, “I come from a poor family. I have a sick father and mother at home. My younger sister is studying. My family lives on what I earn by dancing in bars. If dance in bars closes here, then I will have to move out of the state.”
Another dancer argued that not all bars are involved in illegal activities and that it is unfair to close all bars because of the actions of a few. “We dance in the bar to earn a living. We don’t know what to do after the dance stops at the bar,” she said.
According to a notification from the Excise Commissioner, many foreign liquor shops in the capital are operating outside scheduled hours and hosting bar dances and songs by recruiting female dancers.
The Excise Commissioner has suggested preparing a Serious Irregularity Report (SIR) and emphasized that most licensed open-air foreign liquor shops are providing opportunities for dancing and singing with liquor in their premises. Immediate cessation of these activities and legal action, if necessary, have been recommended.
