Bengaluru liquor ban: Excise department expected to see ₹100 cr loss a day

Liquor will not be served or sold between June 1 and June (except June 5) in Karnataka.

The sale of liquor in Bengaluru will come to a halt in the first week of June due to MLC elections and the counting of Lok Sabha polls. The excise department and business establishments in the city are expected to face the heat. Liquor will not be served or sold between June 1 and June (except June 5) in Karnataka.

Bengaluru liquor ban: Excise department expected to see ₹100 cr loss a day

According to a report in The Hindu, Karnataka excise department is expected to see ₹100 crore loss in revenue every day due to the prohibition of liquor sale. In a letter to the excise commissioner, the Bruhat Bengaluru Hoteliers Association (BBHA) wrote, “We request you to allow the sale of liquor from the evening of June 4, after the counting is concluded. Just like in Mumbai, the restrictions can be in place from one-kilometer radius of the counting station after 4 in the evening.” The excise department has yet to respond to the request of the association.

Meanwhile, many restaurant bars in Bengaluru are deciding whether to open on dry days. As the majority of the revenue comes from liquor, the owners are worried if they can recover the operation costs without serving liquor. They also expressed concern about their business with five dry days at the beginning of the month.

Karnataka Legislative Council elections will be held in the first week of June for six MLCs elected by teachers and graduates, while the second is on June 13 for 11 seats elected by members of the Legislative Assembly.