BENGALURU: All liquor outlets in Karnataka will remain closed till April 14 midnight. The government order extending the closure of all Indian Made Liquor (IML) outlets, including CL9 licences (resto-bars, pubs, bars) and CL2 licences (retail vending stores) from March 31 midnight to April 14 midnight was issued on Tuesday.
There were mixed reactions to the extension of the clampdown. “The government should open liquor stores for a restricted time on the condition that people don’t crowd or drink outside MRP outlets,” said an IML outlet owner.
The decision on extending the closure was taken after the state Excise Department consulted other states such as Kerala and Punjab, where rumours of opening IML shops from April 1 were being floated. “Both the states have decided to extend the closure of all liquor vends till April 14,” said a top official source.