File picture of a woman serving wine at a restaurant in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, May 8: The excise department is planning to cancel licences of six bars in the city after these were found to have engaged women for serving liquor to customers and entertaining them with musical performances.

The move was mooted following a joint meeting of excise and police officials.

Hotels, clubs and bars with liquor licence need to obtain permission from the police to host musical nights. However, these bars were found to have been engaging women to entertain customers with dance and for serving liquor. Section 25 of Bihar and Orissa Excise Act bars licenced vendors from employing women and children.

“These joints were found engaging women for dance violating the Bihar and Orissa Excise Act. I have recommended to the state government to cancel their licences,” said excise commissioner Ashok Kumar Tarenia.

He said that the section 25 would be enforced strictly in the state.

While four of the six violating bars are located on Cuttack Road, the other two are in Bapuji Nagar and Pandara. The state government would showcause these bars and in case their replies were not satisfactory, the state government might cancel their licences.

The police said these bars had been in business for past few years and were engaging women to attract more customers. This had led to women being exposed to drunken brawls in the recent past.

“The police give permission for hosting musical nights in bars on the condition that these entertainment programmes do not encourage vulgarity,” said police commissioner R.P Sharma.

Owners of the bars denied the allegations of engaging women.

“We have never engaged any woman for the purpose of serving liquor or dance,” said Satya Mohanty, member of Bar and Restaurants’ Association, Bhubaneswar, and owner of one of the six bars.

There are 40 off liquor shops in Bhubaneswar, along with 27 bar-cum-restaurants. Besides, 24 hotels in the city have liquor licenses.

On the other hand, the handful of women employees working in various bars in the city opposed the move.

“I have been working as a cashier in a city bar. But I fear I may loose my job now. At a time when the government is ensuring women empowerment, the authorities should not create stop women from working in bars,” said Sweetie.

Sources said though there was no entry fee in the six bars found violating the norms, these joints charge more for drinks as compared to other bar-cum-restaurants in the city.