BENGALURU: Bengaluru City District Liquor Traders Association (BCDLTA) has written to the election officials that the 4-day liquor ban is going to cause huge losses for the industry and excise duty for the State government.
The organisation added that the ban falls on Valentine’s Day during which sales are expected to go up exponentially. However, this is dependent on Bengaluru’s huge young crowd that visits restaurants and pubs frequently on this day, thus increasing revenue by 50 per cent. Around 3,700 establishments will be affected in Bengaluru.
The letter stated that four dry days will incur a loss of Rs 300 crores for the state in terms of excise duty and businesses will face a loss of Rs 500 crore. They requested the government and the election commission to re-examine the unfair closure of bars and liquor shops. “There are only 16,000 voters and they are all educated and intelligent people. The authorities must take appropriate decisions and cooperate for the survival of the Food and Beverage (F&B) industry,” the letter stated.
PC Rao, president Of Bruhat Bengaluru Hoteliers Association told TNSE that the ban is unscientific and was unexpected. Many restaurants have curated and planned events for their patronage which will affect businesses. “The turnover for just four days is expected to be Rs 450 crores, out of which the excise department has Rs 250 crores, not just the hoteliers but even the government will incur heavy losses. According to data, the government collects Rs 60 crore in excise collection per day,” he said asserting that the industry is not pleased.