MP govt receives 13 applications to open resort bars in tiger

The Madhya Pradesh government has received 13 applications to open resort bars in Bandhavgarh and Kanha tiger reserves and other forest areas, after license fees were slashed.

The move will lead to availability of liquor for tourists visiting these areas, as the resorts were earlier not keen to open bars in view of the higher license fees.

The rationale behind bringing down license fees was that the move would check illegal consumption of booze in these areas.

"We have received 13 applications to open resort bars in Bandhavgarh and Kanha tiger reserves besides in other forest areas. This will reduce illegal consumption of liquor in such areas," Minister for Commercial Tax Brajendra Singh Rathore told reporters on Sunday.

Rathore said these applications were received after the government recently reduced license fees for bars to operate in such locations.

"Resorts in forests and tiger reserves were not opening bars due to higher license fees, which was encouraging illegal consumption of liquor in these areas. So, the state government recently took a decision to reduce the bar license fees," the minister said.

Rathore also said opening of bars would facilitate foreign students who visit these areas in large numbers.

He said as many as 61,511 cases of illegal transportation, storage and selling of liquor were registered till November in Financial Year 2019-20.

Separately, 62,932 cases of various irregularities were registered against liquor contractors during this period, he said.

"The state government has earned 17.10 per cent (Rs 8522-crore) more revenue through auctioning of liquor shops in the current financial year compared to 2018-19 (Rs 7279 crore)," Rathore added.