Minister for Excise R.B. Thimmapur has promised to review the conditions governing the sanction of licences under CL-7 for selling liquor to guests in hotels and boarding houses after members cutting across party lines took exception to the indiscriminate issue of new licences by the authorities.
After S.N. Narayanaswamy, Congress MLA representing Bangarpet, raised the issue during Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, Mr. Thimmapur said the existing rules had not stipulated any norms on the building plan of the hotel or boarding house or the extent of area to be reserved for parking on their premises.
“It is being ensured that all basic amenities or facilities required for CL-7 are provided and among these facilities it is also being ensured that double-bedded rooms with toilet facilities and parking facility are being provided for parking of vehicles in the CL-7 licensed premises. However, there are no specific provisions in the Excise Act and Rules regarding the exact space that needs to be reserved by the CL-7 licensee for vehicle parking and the exact room dimension too,” he said.
However, he promised to review the matter after several members complained that rules were being thrown to the wind when it came to sanction of new CL-7 licences.
Mr. Narayanswamy alleged that the licence-issuing officials of the Excise Department in his constituency had become partners of hotels and boarding houses in return for relaxing the rules to issue CL-7 licences. Several other members of the House also complained of the problems arising in their constituencies due to an increase in the number of hotels and lodges serving liquor on their premises by obtaining CL-7 licences.
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok too joined the discussion and urged the government to take all steps to prevent an increase in the number of “drunkards” in society.
