Excise department issues bar licences for 14 UP districts

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh’s excise department issued licences to bars and hotels in 14 districts of the state where the state government expects increased tourist footfalls.

Sanjay R Bhoosreddy, principal secretary excise, confirmed the move.

“Over the last couple of years, there has been an increase in the number of domestic and foreign tourists in places like Noida, Agra, Varanasi and Lucknow. Besides, the capacity of people to spend, their living habits and eating choices too has undergone a change. That explains the issuance of bar licences in these places,” he said.

He also said that new bar licences in districts would open employment avenues for the post of waiters, chefs, security guards, sanitary workers. “Besides, this would also help boost the revenue in the state,” Bhoosreddy said.

“Eight bar licences have been issued in Lucknow, Agra 7, Gorakhpur 6, Gautam Buddha Nagar 4, Prayagraj 3, 2 each in Varanasi, Aligarh and Badaun, and one each in Mirzapur, Moradabad, Jhansi, Ghaziabad, Bahraich and Bareilly,” Bhoosreddy said.