Five star hotels in Chennai, Tiruchi to serve liquor 24 hours

Chennai: Tamil Nadu government has allowed five star hotels in Chennai and Tiruchirappally to serve liquor round the clock while extending the benefit to similar establishments in Madurai and Coimbatore provided they paid two times of the privilege fee.

"Provided further that the hours of business for five star hotels in Chennai and Tiruchirappally, where the International Civil Airports are situated and the five star hotels in the cities of Coimbatore and Madurai who opt to pay double the amount of privilge fee, shall be 24 hours and for other hotels it shall be from 11 am to 12 midnight," and there could be no business for them after 12 midnight, a recent Government Order of the Home, Prohibiiton and Excise Department said.

Privilege fee for the hotels has also been revised with the new fee for five star hotels fixed at Rs 16 lakh while it is nine lakh and six lakh for four star and three star hotels, respectively.

The 24 hour availablity of alocohol has not been extended to outlets run by Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation.

The latest move by the government, which rakes in a lot of revenue from liquor sales through state-run outlets, is seen more as an effort to ensure availability of quality pint to foreign travellers who reach the respective cities at odd hours.

However, the 24 hour availablity of alocohol has not been extended to outlets run by Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC).

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