About 80% restro-bars in city reopen to welcome tipplers

Kolkata: At least 80 percent of the restro-bars in the city have reopened on the first day itself after the state government allowed serving of liquor at bars and restaurants from Tuesday.

Issuing an order on Monday, the Bengal government has allowed "service of liquor for consumption within any service area of licensed premises pertaining to "On"' type." It permits serving of liquor at bar, restaurants, and consumption "on" the premises of any theatre, clubs, canteen, Dak-bungalow, Railway refreshment room, dining car, steamer, customs airport or any places of public resort and entertainment and attached bar by ensuring the norms of physical distancing, hand hygiene, frequent sanitization, wearing masks and other safety protocol in the wake of COVID-19.

At the same time not more than "50 percent occupancy" will be allowed at a time at any of these places and "operating hours for liquor service will be according to the operating hours of food service in restaurants".

But, there are restrictions on the same if any of it is situated in a containment zone.

After taking all necessary preparations including proper sanitisation, most restro-bars in Kolkata opened up and serving liquor, that generates 60 percent of their revenues, has started. Though the owners of restro-bars are considering that it would take some time to rejuvenate the turnover like before, most of them were not ready to even lose a day in starting the same after the trade incurred a loss of around Rs 1200 crore in the past five months.

Restaurants are not allowed to permit any guest to use the dance floor within the service area to avoid crowding and food hygiene and guidelines of Food Safety and Standards Authorities of India also have to be strictly followed.

Sudesh Poddar, honorary secretary of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India, said: "There are around 400 restro-bars in Kolkata and 80 percent of it has opened on Tuesday itself. Remaining will resume its service gradually. There are on an average 50 employees in a bar and they have started joining work."

However, many clubs in the city would take a week's time to reinstate the service. Chandan Roy Chowdhury, secretary of Calcutta Rowing Club, said: "Health and hygiene of our members and staff are our first priority. So it will take at least a week's time for sanitisation and all before resuming the facility."

It will help in rejuvenating the excise revenue collection of the state that had nosedived to around Rs 350 crore a month compared to that of Rs 950 crore at usual time.