HC fixes May 7 to hear petitions on dances in bars
dance performances in bars
.
The date was set after a fresh petition challenging the amendment was presented on Wednesday. The court was informed by additional govt advocate Bimbisar Dash that three similar petitions are pending before this court, where pleadings are complete.
The two-judge bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M S Raman stated: "The aforesaid writ petitions were listed earlier, but the hearing could not be concluded. Since identical issues are involved in the instant writ petition, let this writ petition be tagged with the aforesaid writ petitions."
"We do not find any justification in inviting the affidavit in the instant writ petition as the pleadings are complete in other writ petitions and, therefore, filing of the affidavit is dispensed with. Let this writ petition along with the three others be listed on May 7, 2025, to be taken up at 2.00 pm," the bench said.
A Bhubaneswar-based hotel, having bar, filed the fresh petition, while similar petitions were also filed earlier by three other bars. The Odisha Excise (Amendment) Rules, 2024, amend the Odisha Excise Rules, 2017, primarily concerning the
excise policy
for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The amendment, published in the Odisha Gazette on January 31, 2025, includes changes related to licensing, particularly for "ON" shops (bars) and "OFF" shops (liquor stores), and regulates the conduct of musical performances within licensed premises.
"No dance performances shall be permitted within any on-shop premises; however, the on-shops may host musical performances or orchestras within their licensed establishments," read the new excise policy. Accordingly, ON shops (bars) can conduct musical performances or orchestras within their licensed premises, provided they obtain permission under Rule 44(5) of the Odisha Excise Rules, 2017.
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