Election officials serve notices to 1,000 liquor stores, bars in Bengaluru for violating norms

BENGALURU: The Lok Sabha election battle is on in full swing in the state with less than a week for voting in the  second phase. In the meantime, Bengaluru election officials have warned liquor stores, bars and restaurants against violating business hours. More than 1,000 notices have been issued to those who kept open their bars late into the night in recent days.

The election officials plan to take legal action against those who are selling liquor without documents and violating other rules.

The Election Commission has instructed all liquor stores, bars and restaurants to follow the rules ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and district election officers are keeping an hawk’s eye. However, some bars and restaurants, and MRP outlets are flouting rules in the city by keeping open beyond permissible business hours. Following this, district election officers have registered more than 1,000 cases against bars and restaurants and served notices to them.

Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner B Dayananda said, not only liquor stores, but bars and even MRP outlets are flouting the rules. “Officials have intercepted illegal transport of liquor and seized the stocks. The Excise Department officials will issue notices and proceed to close down some bars as there are only a few days left for polling”.

So far, liquor worth Rs 2.98 crore has seized at various checkpoints in Bengaluru.