Pubs and bars on Bangalore's Central Business District to reopen

Bangaloreans can now heave a sigh of relief as the bars and pubs on MG Road and surrounding areas that were ordered to shut down post-June 30 midnight, will soon be back in business. Owners of popular pubs and resto bars now hope that their licenses will also be renewed soon.

The Supreme Court had earlier banned the sale of liquor within 500 metres of a highway. And a few days before licenses expired, the excise department has refused to renew the liquor licenses of many pubs, restaurants and even star hotels



located on Brigade Road, Church Street, MG Road and Indiranagar.

However, the apex court on Tuesday, June 4, said that roads within the city can be denotified as national highways and explained that the actual purpose of banning the sale of liquor near highways was to ensure that drivers do not drive under the influence of alcohol. 

The Karnataka government has now requested the Centre to denotify about 700 kilometres of national highways and 1,476 kilometres of state highways.