Bars and restaurants across Telangana are set to shut on October 5 as the Telangana Bar & Restaurant Association calls for a statewide protest against recent government decisions on bar operations, licence rules and fees.
The association is opposing a Cabinet decision that it says will increase the privilege fee and raise the bar slab from 8% to 20%. It also says the licence fee is set to rise from Rs. 40 lakh to Rs. 44 lakh.
The association has demanded that the government withdraw the decisions immediately. It has called on bar and restaurant owners to suspend operations on October 5 as part of the protest.
The group has warned that it will besiege the Excise Commissioner’s office if the government does not reconsider the changes. The association says its action is in response to the proposed fee and regulatory changes affecting the sector.
The association says about 60 families depend on each bar for their livelihood and has warned that the latest decisions could put thousands of jobs at risk.
