Bhubaneswar: In order to facilitate a pleasant stay for visiting players and tourists from abroad for the Men’s Hockey World Cup-2018, the state government has relaxed norms for sale and purchase of liquor
in Bhubaneswar which hosts
the international event.
The state government has amended the Odisha Excise Rules by inserting a crucial clause to ensure sale of liquor at notified areas at licensed shops till 1.30 am without paying any additional fee to the government. As per the existing norms, the liquor at ON shops can be bought till 12 am, a senior Excise Department
official told Orissa POST Wednesday.
The amendment says, “The state government on the occasion of a national or international level mega events may, by notification, extend the selling hours until 1.30 am in respect of locations mentioned in clause-d of the first proviso without insisting on payment of additional fee or consideration money leviable under these rules.”
The government may issue a notification on the basis of the amendment in this regard to extend hours of liquor vending and place of sale for national and international events like HWC, an official said requesting anonymity.
The department has also issued an order for extension of liquor sale hours at ‘ON’ shops operating in various hotels, inns and restaurants till 1.30 am.
“On the request of Sports and Youth Services department, we have extended the hours of sale of liquor at ON shops in hotels and restaurants under Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation limits till 1.30 am,” he said.
However, other ‘ON’ shops operating in towns without boarding and restaurant facilities will not come under the purview of this order. The order has come into effect November 20 and will remain in force till December 20, the officer informed this paper.
The government, however, has not allowed sale of liquor on the premises of Kalinga Stadium. “We had received an application from a restaurant operator to grant temporary licence to sell liquor at the stadium during the world cup. However, we have rejected the application as it may be misused,” the senior official added.
This is not the first instance when the government has liberalised the rules to encourage sale of liquor sale. In the wake of the Supreme Court order promulgated in August 2017 ban on sale of liquor along National Highways, the state government had converted several state highways as urban roads to facilitate sale of liquor by outlets in the business.
