Nagpur, 01

Apr (HS): As many as 14 liquor bars in Amravati have been closed for their

failure to renew their licences. The result was a steep hike in the Licence

Fees and VAT (value Added Tax) by the state government from 5 per cent to 10

per cent. The licence fees for Amravati from April 1 is Rs 7.60 lakh, while in

Nagpur it is Rs 11.40 Lakh (Hike of Rs 50,000)

The licence

fees depends upon the population of the city. The fees is considerably low in

the rural areas.

Many bars in

Nagpur also preferred closure from April 1, 2026, instead of paying the hiked licence

renewal fees.

The Bar Owners

association in Amravati has alleged that only 25 per cent of those in the

business have continued with it. Closure of the permit rooms have rendered

thousands of their employees jobless.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Ajay Vasant Mardikar