Excise dept resumes licence renewal in state even as bars stay shut

BATHINDA : The Punjab excise and taxation department has started renewing the annual licences for pubs and bars even as these outlets remain closed as they have complete restriction on serving alcoholic beverages.

State assistant commissioner (excise) Navdeep Kaur Bhinder issued a notice on August 14 to start renewal of licences. There is no deadline for renewal.

There are 1,500 bars and over 500 pubs in various districts. Hardly anyone has applied for the same across the state, sources in the excise department and hospitality sector say.

Excise licences for liquor vends, pubs, bars and restaurants are renewed annually by March-end.

As per the excise department, the bar owners have been temporarily exempted from paying fee from April to June. But they have been directed to pay fees for nine months starting July onwards.

Bhinder did not respond to calls and text messages.

Assistant excise and taxation commissioner (Bathinda) Sukhwinder Singh said the bar owners are required to submit an undertaking that they will pay fee from April to June if the state government does not give any rebate for the three-month period.

“So far, the state government has not taken a decision to waive licence fee of the first three months of the trade permit year. Licensed bar owner may serve liquor or beer only at restaurants in strict adherence of guidelines,” he said.

Gurdeep Singh Walia, a bar owner from Patiala, said instead of extending support to the crumbling hospitality sector, the state government is adopting unfair means.

“The season of beer is almost over and demanding retrospective fee when we are barred from functioning defies logic. Like other people in the business, I also have no funds for licence renewal,” said Walia.

Devinder Toor, a hotelier from Abohar, said his business has suffered drastically in the last five-and-ahalf months. “Last year, I had paid ₹3.15 lakh bar licence fee but by the end of the season, I suffered huge losses. Huge stocks of drought and bottle beer expired during the lockdown period. I have no option but to close down the bar permanently if the state government does not provide any relief,” said Toor.

Satish Arora, the state president of Punjab Hotel, Restaurant and Resorts Association said as the state government has again extended curfew timing, the business opportunity is hit again.

“Though the hospitality activities were suspended we were unfairly charged an average electricity tariff. As there is no scope of business renewal in the coming months, the excise licence fee should be deferred for at least six months and the validity of the bar licence period should also be extended as a relief measure,” he said.

OWNERS OF PUBS AND BARS IN THE STATE TERM THE GOVT’S DECISION TO CHARGE FEE FROM JULY ONWARDS AS UNFAIR