Alerted over the Mumbai fire incident, claiming 14 lives, Excise and Prohibition department officials visited the bars in Ranchi to check whether they fulfill the required norms of fire safety and proper display of emergency exit points. The officials have also directed to meet fire safety norms
at the earliest.
At least 14 people, including 11 women, were killed while 55 others were injured when an inferno gutted three upscale Restro-bars, in the happening Kamala Mills compound at lower Parel in south-central Mumbai in the wee hours of Friday.
“On the directions of Ranchi Deputy Commissioner, Manoj Kumar, we are visiting each of the bars in Ranchi to check whether fire safety and defined norms required for bars are being followed by them or not,” said Excise Inspector Om Prakash. It was being followed by almost all of them, where it was not found in place, they were given directions to meet all the requirements immediately, he added.
“Our primary concern is the fire safety norms and properly displayed emergency exit points in the bars,” said the Excise department official. The bar owners were also directed to get the fire safety instruments refilled before it gets expired and keep them at a proper place, he added.
Meanwhile, expecting a rise in the demand of liquor on the
New Year, the department is fully prepared to meet the increased demand of liquor.
“As we have ample stock in our godowns, we are fully prepared to meet the increased demand of liquor on December 31 and January 1. There will not be shortage of liquor in the shops,” said another Excise Inspector Ajit Kumar.
There are more than 20 bars in Ranchi which are being inspected by personally visiting to them,he added.
The State Government, to check revenue loss due to illegal trade of liquor in Jharkhand, took over the sale of foreign liquor through 210 outlets all over the State controlled by Jharkhand State Beverages Corporation limited (JSBCl from August 1 this year. One person is given a maximum of 3 liters of foreign liquor, 6 pouches of country made liquor and 8 bottles of bear at a time and the liquor shops remain open from 1 pm to 10 pm in urban areas and from 12 pm to 8 pm in the rural areas.
These liquor shops have also been made online, making it easier for JSBCl to keep a close eye on all of them also enabling it to get exact figure of the sale and stock of any of the shops.
