MARGAO
Bar owners from the Municipal areas of Margao and Cuncolim made a beeline before the Salcete Excise office for renewal of their licences, a day after the government issued an order to renew licence of bars in the urban areas of the State.
Some of the bar owners, however, raised many an eyebrow after the Salcete Excise office levied fees for the entire financial year though these establishments had remained closes for five months, beginning from the current financial year.
Excise officials, however, expressed their helplessness in the matter, saying that they have not received any circular from the Excise head office, mandating the officers to issue challan only for seven months. An Excise official told The Goan that neither he has received any circular from the head office to issue the challan only for seven months, nor he is in receipt of any representation from the bar owners on the issue. "If my office receive any representation from the bar owners, the same will be forwarded to the government for necessary action," the Excise official informed.
On day one, the Salcete Excise office is believed to have renewed around 60-65 licences and officials expected a beeline from the bar owners for the next couple of days.
Around 398 bars -- 345 in Margao municipal area and 44 in Cuncolim town -- are eligible for renewal of their Excise licences after the government issued an order as per the Supreme Court order.
Most of these bars in the two towns in Salcete had to pull down shutters since April as per the initial order of the Supreme Court banning all bars and restaurants coming within 500 metres of the national and State highway.
