Bengaluru:  Around 14 lakh cases, each containing nine litres of liquor, have been sealed as more than 3,500 bars, pubs and restaurants serving liquor were closed on Saturday, officials of the Excise department said.

The department earns around Rs 26 crore for a lakh cases through excise and additional duty. As the owner of a closed shop cannot transfer the liquor in his store to a licence holder, the amount of liquor is deemed sealed till the owner gets his licence renewed.

Officials said that of the 3,901 bars facing closure, only 386 opted for transfer. “Initial data show 3,515 liquor establishments being closed, including 683 in the city,” a senior official in the department said.

In Bengaluru, 736 bars situated at a distance of 500 metres from national highways received closure notices. Only 53 licence holders chose to move. 

The department is set to lose around Rs 150 crore through non-renewal of licence. While this can be recovered through renewing or providing new licences, officials said it would be hard to meet the Rs 18,050-crore target set for the 2017-18 financial year if liquor establishments in trouble are not bailed out or new ones are not established.

Clubs go dry

Clubs in the state suspended liquor service as their CL-4 licence ended on Friday night. Many clubs said their licence was not renewed despite assurances from the excise commissioner and the government. KSCA Club and Bowring Institute said they suffered losses, but didn't want to operate on the basis of mere assurance as that would mean violating the law. Excise Commissioner Manjunath Naik said he would look into the issue. "Clubs can renew their licence. I will see why there was a delay," he added.