Confusion over last drink timing shuts down hotels in Mysuru

Milton.Lawrence
Mysuru: With weekend and night curfew in place for the last one week, hotels have taken a fresh hit in the old Mysuru region.
Hotels and restaurants that are dependent on liquor for revenue have taken a battering.
The previous week there was confusion on the closure timing. As a result, the excise department has dashed off a directive asking hotels to stop serving liquor after 8 pm though the night curfew starts at 10 pm.This has forced around 80 hotels and restaurants to suspend operations as only takeaway orders will not earn them much given that operational costs are higher than the earnings.
C Narayanagowda, the president of the hotel owners’ association, said the industry was already facing huge losses since the Covid outbreak. Adding to this, the notice of liquor service stopping at 8 pm has taken a toll on many hotels.
Hoteliers were unhappy because liquor outlets were allowed to do business till 10 pm the previous week, while hotels were restricted. Hence hoteliers are reluctant to do business, Narayanagowda said.
Deputy commissioner of excise B Madesh, however, clarified that due to confusion on the timing of the curfew in the government’s order, previously hotels were asked to stop serving liquor after 8 pm. “After the government issued a revised order, we have allowed hotels and liquor outlets to remain open till 10 pm,” he said.
He said that the excise department has not issued any fresh order on the revised timings. The government order in this regard holds true and applies to all. According to the officer, Mysuru has about 550 liquor licences, including hotels and restaurants, of which 330 are in urban Mysuru.