Rakesh Dash
Post News Network
Cuttack: In a ruling that will bring cheer to the hospitality sector in the state, the Orissa High Court Thursday said women can be employed for musical orchestras in bars and liquor-serving restaurants across the state on condition that the bar and restaurant owners follow the provisions of the Bihar and Orissa Excise Act of 1915 and the Supreme Court guidelines on the matter.
The SC guidelines stipulate that the performers should not wear clothes which expose one’s body and there should be restrictions on such performers wearing tight and provocative dresses. There should be a railing of three-feet height adjacent to the performing stage and there should be a minimum of five-feet distance between the railing and seats for the customers.
Adjudicating over a writ petition filed by hotelier Prasanna Kumar Panda, a division bench of Justices Indrajit Mahanti and DP Choudhury ordered that for holding musical orchestra, the bar and restaurant owners need to obtain prior permission from the State Excise Board.
At least five petitioners had moved the High Court after the Bhubaneswar police and excise sleuths raided three bars and registered cases against hoteliers last month for performing musical orchestra in their premises without obtaining necessary permissions and violating the norms and guidelines.
The HC said bar and liquor-serving restaurant owners will have to apply for permission from the Excise board in advance for hiring girls as dancers and singers with all requisite details of the performers.
The board will take a decision on the applications within seven days as per the earlier verdict of the Supreme Court and Section 25 of the Bihar and Orissa Excise Act 1915. All bars and restaurants will also have to be covered under CCTV surveillance.
Welcoming the verdict, Orissa Hotel and Restaurant Association executive secretary KK Rao said this will help women get employment as well as give a boost to the hospitality sector in the state.
General secretary of the association Satya Ranjan Mohanty said they were pleased at the HC verdict. “We gladly welcome the verdict of the court and would like to thank the Commissionerate Police and Excise departments. The decision will take the hospitality sector to greater heights,” Mohanty said.
In May 2014, a woman had moved the High Court challenging the state government’s decision of not allowing women to work as dancers and singers in bars.
Two months ago, the Excise department announced closure of three bars in the city for employing female dancers and singers in violation of the Bihar and Orissa Excise Act 1915. The law prohibits employment of women in bars.
Sources said Bhubaneswar city has 27 licensed bar-cum-restaurants.