Hyderabad: Bar restaurant owners in Telangana announced a statewide shutdown over the proposed privilege cess on Sunday.
The Telangana State Bar and Restaurant Owners’ Association said its members would keep bars and restaurants closed from Monday. The association demanded immediate withdrawal of the new cess, citing mounting financial losses.
According to the association, the State government plans to impose an annual privilege cess ranging from 8% to 20% on each bar. Members claimed the measure would add about ₹30 lakh a year to the financial burden of each establishment.
The association said operators were already facing losses from other developments affecting their business. These include the authorisation of permanent rooms at wine shops and the growth of unauthorised belt shops across the State.
The members also announced plans to protest at the Excise Department office on the 5th of the month. They said the proposed action was aimed at pressing the government to reconsider the additional levy.
State president of the Bar and Restaurant Owners’ Association Damodar Goud said members already paid substantial amounts to the government. He said annual licence fees paid by bars ranged between ₹33 lakh and ₹56 lakh.
Goud alleged that the proposed privilege cess would impose an additional burden of up to ₹30 lakh on each bar. Therefore, he demanded that the government withdraw the proposed levy immediately.
The association also warned that the agitation could intensify if the government did not respond to its demands. Members said they were prepared to stage further protests at the office of the Excise Commissioner.
Bar restaurant owners plan further protests
Meanwhile, more than 1,200 bars and restaurants across Telangana are expected to participate in the shutdown. Association representatives said the strike would continue until the government responded to their demands.
The association said the proposed cess had created serious concern among bar and restaurant operators. Members argued that the additional payment would increase costs at a time when they were already dealing with other business-related challenges.
According to the association, operators currently pay between ₹33 lakh and ₹56 lakh each year in licence fees. The proposed cess, they said, could increase the annual financial burden by another ₹30 lakh.
The members have also raised concerns about permanent rooms being authorised at wine shops. They said the spread of unauthorised belt shops was another factor contributing to financial losses.
Goud reiterated the demand for immediate withdrawal of the privilege cess. He also warned that the association would continue its agitation if the government did not address the concerns of its members.
The association said it would consider hunger strikes if its demands remained unresolved. It added that the agitation could be escalated further in the future.
The planned shutdown will affect bars and restaurants across Telangana. The association’s representatives said the protest would continue until the government responds to their demands.