Bhubaneswar, Nov. 4: A joint team of police and excise officials will crack down on bars allegedly employing women for dancing and singing to entertain their customers.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the police and excise department officials today. The new team will be formed soon, a police official said.

Police sources said the new team would conduct surprise raids on bars to ensure that liquor is not being served beyond permissible time limit, besides ensuring that any vulgar act does not take place in the bars.

The move comes following a scuffle between corporator Amaresh Jena and the owner of a bar on Cuttack Road last week.

Police commissioner R.P. Sharma said the police are also planning to ask the bar owners to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. "We would legally examine the aspect of installation of CCTVs in the bars. Stern action would be taken against bars patronising vulgar acts," said Sharma.

Section 25 of the Bihar and Orissa Excise Act debars employment of children or women by licenced vendors.

Sources said that around a dozen bars in the city have engaged women for dancing and entertaining their customers.

"The police only give permission for hosting musical nights in bars on the condition that these entertainment programmes do not encourage vulgarity," a police official said.