Bhubaneswar Cheers As Bars Ready To Open

Bhubaneswar Cheers As Bars Ready To Open

Bars and clubs are a big part of any city’s nightlife and Bhubaneswar’s nightlife has been dead since March 2020 in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic. Bars, pubs and clubs are an important source of revenue for any thriving city and they are also a hub for cultural potpourri. On January 6, a notification issued by the Government of Odisha allowed bars, beer parlours and clubs to resume services in strict adherence to COVID 19 norms.

“The Government after careful consideration in exercise of powers conferred under section-93 of the Odisha Excise Act-2008 allows consumption of liquor in the Restaurant ‘ON’ / Hotel ‘ON’/ Beer Parlour ‘ON’ and Club ‘ON’ outside the containment zone with immediate effect,” the notification issued by the Excise Department read.

The notification stated that these establishments will have to maintain the opening hour as prescribed in their licence.The liquor serving shops have been asked to follow the guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) fixed by the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in view of the Covid-19.

The notification further added that local police and excise officials have been asked to remain alert while Collectors have been empowered to close the shops in case of violation of COVID-19 guidelines. The establishments serving liquor will open for the first time after a gap of nine months and the denizens of Bhubaneswar are delighted by the news.

Rajiv Mishra, an IT professional, was happy with the news and said, “I have been waiting for this news for a long time. It’s time to celebrate. It looks like 2021 is already going to be lit. I got the news when I woke up today morning and my Whatsapp groups have been buzzing since then. Me and my friends are planning to have a gala time soon.”

Not just the customers but also the bars and pubs are elated with the news and are waiting for the customers to be back. Sourav Rath, Bar and Restaurant Manager, Hotel Hindustan International, expressed his happiness and said, “I am very happy with the news although it should have come much earlier. Hotels have been maintaining COVID protocols of the highest standard. This will help in supplementing the revenue of the business as we are still not allowed to take in more than 30% guests.”

Ananya Rout, a third year engineering student, has been over the moon since the news broke. She shared her excitement and said, “I am tired of having coffee. I need something more than that. Hanging out with friends with a pint of fresh beer is more fun than anything else. They should have done this before the holiday season. Anyway, better late than never. Let’s get the party started.”