Notwithstanding the rising COVID-19 cases in the state, the Maharashtra Government recently unveiled the Unlock 5.0 guidelines under Mission Begin Again.
It extended the lockdown in the state till Oct 31, however, eased restrictions on some sectors as part of its plan to open the state in a phased manner.
Hotels, food courts, restaurants and bars are being allowed to operate from Monday with 50% capacity.
Although the restaurants opened today, tipplers in the state must be wondering whether the restaurants are allowed to sell liquor or not.
So, here is an answer for you!
While responding to the query on the selling of liquor, the state excise department on Monday stated that they do not have any authority on the timings of the bars and it is the subject of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
“The decision of timings is decided by the empowered officer of the authority based on the prevailing Covid-19 condition in a particular area,” said a senior excise officer.
When asked over the confusion of bar owners over state excise’s nod on the timings, he said that they have issued a clarification.
“We issued a clarification saying that bars can open and operate as per the timings decided by each empowered officer of disaster management. The competent authority will be BMC in the city and collector at other places,” he added.
In addition to this, the tourism department’s principal secretary Valsa Nair Singh told FPJ that the timings of a closer for all restaurants and bars are 10 pm. "For all restaurants including bars, the timings are 8 am to 10 pm," she said.
Thus, bars can open and operate as per the timings decided by each empowered officer of disaster management in the particular area.
