CHENNAI: Tasmac is likely to float online tenders for new bar licences in the second week of August. The corporation plans to use the fresh licensing round to begin a modernisation drive at bars attached to its outlets in Chennai, Tiruchy, Madurai and Coimbatore, senior officials told TNIE.
Following repeated complaints from consumers about poor sanitation, inadequate seating, substandard food, lack of drinking water and limited parking at several bars, Tasmac is discussing minimum standards for customer amenities before the new licences are issued.
As part of the exercise, the corporation is also considering allowing cooking facilities inside bars for the first time, a long-standing demand of bar owners. “At present, cooking is prohibited and stoves are not allowed inside bars.
However, inspections have found many bars violating the rule by using stoves. Bar owners have been urging the government to permit cooking facilities. Certain conditions relating to this issue may be incorporated in the new tender document. However, no final decision has been taken so far,” an official said.
Alongside the bar licences, Tasmac is also set to invite a separate online tender for collecting empty liquor bottles under its bottle buy-back scheme. The state has directed the corporation to submit a comprehensive report covering both the licensing process and the bottle collection scheme.
“Tasmac plans to complete the preparatory work in the first week of August. Online tenders for both bar licences and empty bottle collection are likely to be floated in the second week of August,” the official said.
The fresh licensing exercise comes after around 2,600 bars across the state were granted a two-month extension to facilitate the tender process.
“The existing licences expired on June 30, and bar owners were given a two-month extension, which will end in August. Fresh licences will therefore be issued through a tender process, and the newly licensed bars are expected to commence operations in September,” the official added.