Bhubaneswar: Police have decided to launch a crackdown on dance bars in the state capital for engaging women in singing and dancing.

On Friday, the police had raided a dance bar at Ashok Nagar.

The police said Section 25 of the Odisha Excise Act bars the employment of children or women by licensed vendors in an area in which liquor is consumed by the public.

A police officer said the bar which was raided on Friday did not have permission to host musical nights. "The bar had taken permission for 2016-17, but did not have permission for this financial year. Besides, it has also engaged women as dancers," said the officer.

A number of bars in the city have allegedly engaged women dancers to attract more customers. This has also led to women being exposed to drunk brawls in the recent past. Besides, it has also been alleged that the women engaged in these bars were performing vulgar dance. Sources said more than two dozens bars in the city have engaged women, especially in the Cuttack Road area.

Deputy commissioner of police, Bhubaneswar, Satyabrata Bhoi said the drive would continue. "We will ensure that no woman is engaged in the bars, besides checking whether these have proper police permission to play music," he said.

In 2014, the excise department had served notices to six bars in the city after a surprise raid revealed women performing in those bars. The department had found that one of the bars also engaged women to serve liquor.

Sources said though there was no entry fee in these bars, they charged more compared to other bar-cum-restaurants in the city.

However, an owner of a bar denied engaging women for dance purposes. "The girls are part of an orchestra team, which performs music. If we stop roping in women for musical performance, our business will be badly affected. The police should only take action against bars engaging women dancers," he said.