Kolkata, Sep 1 (PTI) Around 40 per cent of the 2,500 odd bars opened in West Bengal opened on Tuesday after a gap of five months as the state excise department allowed them to resume functioning with all COVID-19 safety protocols in place, an official said.

"Most of the bars in Kolkata have reopened after the excise department's order yesterday. While the remaining ones would open tomorrow as they are updating their system and taking other precautionary measures," President of Hotels and Restaurants Association of Eastern India Sudesh Poddar said.

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According to an official of the association, around 40 per cent of the 2,500 bars in the state have opened shutters on Tuesday.

"Bars have opened after a gap of more than five months. It is expected that initially footfall would be less compared to that of pre-COVID 19 days. It will catch up in the days to come," said a bar owner, who is also a member of the association.

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However, tipplers are seen queuing before some of the inexpensive bars of the city and waiting for their turn to enter.

"As there are norms regarding seating arrangements and other precautions, we are asking people to wait outside in case the tables are full," another city bar owner said.

According to norms, there should be at least 6 feet gap between two tables and the seating capacity has to be reduced to 50 per cent.

License fees remain a matter of concern for pubs, bars and restaurants as they are operating at half the capacity and the closing time has also been advanced to 10 PM.

A meeting is expected shortly to iron out these concerns that have been flagged by bars and restaurants, sources said.

Officials of restaurants said though the direct revenue from alcohol is 60 per cent, it helps food business indirectly.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)