Bar owners from Aquem-Margao submitted a memorandum to the Salcete Excise Inspector demanding action against wine shops allegedly doing illegal business of serving liquor.
MARGAO
Bar owners from the Aquem area of the commercial capital are up in arms over the alleged practice of sale and consumption of liqour around the premises of wine shops.
A delegation of bar owners from the Margao Municipal wards No 18, 19, 21 and 22 called on the Salcete Excise Inspector and submitted a memorandum demanding immediate action against the erring wine shops. Questioning the rationale behind the extension of timings of the wine shops beyond the prescribed time limit, the bar owners has called for a stop to extension of timings for the wine shops.
Led by bar owner Andrew Sequeira, the delegation drew attention of the excise inspector Shaba Naik that the erring wine shops provide cups and allow customers to consume liquor inside the shop causing huge losses for the bar owners. “Our customers have stopped coming to our bars since they get cheap liqour from these wine shops”, Andrew said.
The delegation pointed to a wine shop operating almost 24x7 from a residential society, serving liqour for consumption by making available plastic glasses to the customers.
“Due to the one hour extension of timings to wine shops i.e. upto 10.00pm, it has been observed that very few wine shops pay for the one hour extension of timing whereas most of the wine shops carry on the sale of liquor up to 24 hrs, thus killing the business of the bar owners”, Andrew said,
The delegation made a fervent plea to the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the Commissioner of Excise to cancel the option of one hour extension after 9 pm up to 10 pm and allow the bar owners to do some business for two hours from 9.00 to 11.00pm.
Despite complaints to the Excise department, they pointed out no action is forthcoming from the department, even as they warned that inaction in the matter may force the bar owners to take to the streets and take the law in their hands.
Excise Inspector Shaba Naik said the excise officials do regular rounds of the areas in their jurisdiction, saying he would direct the officials to intensify the patrolling and crack a whip against the erring wine shops.
