Seven dance bars in Capital get conditional permission

BHUBANESWAR: The Excise Department on Monday granted conditional permission to seven dance bars in the city allowing dance and music performance by women.Excise Commissioner Anjan Kumar Manik issued the order for the remaining period of 2019-20 as per the provisions of Odisha Excise Rules 2017. Sources said the move comes in the wake of July 30 order of High Court.

Khurda Excise Superintendent Prasanna Acharya said the dance bars have been asked to strictly follow provisions laid down under the Excise Rules, failing which their licence can be scrapped again and they may be asked to pay penalty.

A total of 18 conditions have been imposed for running the bars. Installation of CCTV cameras at appropriate places in the bar, no women below 21 years can be engaged as dancers, the dancers will have to provide their voter identity card, Aadhaar card, photos and other details to the bars.

The performers also can not wear clothes exposing their body. Customers should maintain a minimum of 5 feet distance from the performance stage and can not throw money at performers.President of Odisha Bar and Restaurant Association, Satya Mohanty said there should have been some relaxation of conditions to operate the bars. “No other State has imposed such restriction on women to work in bars,” Mohanty told mediapersons.

The Government tightened its noose on the bars after Commissionerate Police carried out raids in July and sealed 11 bars for allegedly running dance and music programmes by women performers without valid licence.