Pune Beat

The association members held a protest rally at Alka theatre chowk in the morning. Later, they took out a morcha to the district collectorate and submitted a memorandum of their demands.

The owners of hotels, canteens, restaurants, permit rooms, beer bars, clubs and country liquor bars participated in the bandh. Some hotels in the city kept their cafeterias open but did not serve alcohol in response to the bandh call.

The bandh call was given by the joint action committee formed by the All Hotel Associations of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Ambernath, Dombivli, Bhivandi, Raigad, Pune, Ratnagiri, Aurangabad, Latur, Nanded and other districts in association with the Wine Dealers8217; Association and Country Liquor Bars and Dealers8217; Association.

The committee officials alleged that the government had no sympathy for them as the taxes and licences fees were being increased heavily every year. They pointed out that the State Government had recently increased the shop and establishment licence fees by 1,000 per cent and the excise duty was hiked by 200 per cent. Besides, they said, the sales tax on liquor was hiked by 13 per cent while sales tax on food was increased up to 10 per cent.

The rates of LPG cylinders for commercial purpose were doubled. Charges for electricity and water were also increased heavily, they added.