The State government’s decision to include pubs but not restaurants and bars in its list of places that have to be closed for a week as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19 was the cause of much confusion among both customers and owners.
On Saturday night, even as the police were cracking down on commercial establishments, many remained open though there were only a few patrons in these otherwise crowded watering holes.
Owners claimed that they were not violating any rules as the government had only included pubs in its list. The director of a popular chain said it came down to the legal definition of a pub.
“The Excise Department’s definition of a pub is one that operates with an RVB licence. An RVB licence is granted to an establishment that chooses to serve only beer on tap. However, though some establishments are perceived as brewpubs by the public, they have a CL9 licence which allows them to serve spirits as well as craft beer,” he said.
However, on Saturday night, the police started ordering pubs to shut down.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) S.D. Sharanappa said the patrolling police have been directed to conduct checks to ensure that the order is complied. However, sources said some pubs are running with nexus of patrolling and jurisdictional police. Several owners criticised the government’s handling of the situation and said between Friday and Saturday, they got multiple communications from different departments.
“On Friday evening, we were told that we would have to shut from midnight. But then in the morning, the Excise Department said we could function as we have a CL9 licence. Then the police and the BBMP said we had to shut down,” said another owner of a chain of pubs.
However, people seemed to be exercising caution as most of restaurants and hangspots were relatively empty. On most weekends, party-goers gather in large numbers at Lavelle Road, Church Street, Brigade Road and other places. However, on Saturday, the roads were empty and hardly anyone was seen walking on the road.
An employee of a pub on Lavelle Road said, “We are functioning as usual. However, the number of customers has come down, so we are closing the business early.”
Owners of some establishments said they would seek clarity from the excise department and other concerned authorities.
