Kolkata: Its not too late to order food anymore! The Bengal government is all set to relax restrictions on "serving food" after midnight in bar-cum-restaurants of the city. Also, in another development, wine may be soon served in pegs at Kolkatas bars. At the same time, liquor including whisky, rum and vodka may be sold in bottles which were only available in off-shops. Moreover, if one cannot finish the bottle till midnight, he/she can carry the rest with him/her. Restaurants with bars can now allow guests to finish their food even after midnight that had to be closed by 12 am earlier. The customers also had to leave the premises of the same by midnight, which also meant both the bar and the restaurant would have to stop operations on or before 12 am. With the new norms coming into effect, the restriction on consumption of liquor in bar-cum-restaurants would continue till 12 am whereas food can now be served without any restriction even after midnight. Sources in the state administration said the step has been taken following discussions that it was illogical to ask guests to leave while they are still eating. "There were deliberations that there is no justification behind harassing someone who is simply having his food at a bar-cum-restaurant just because it is midnight," sources said. While mentioning about the change in the norm for bars and restaurants, sources in the state government said there is no such rule in any major city that food cannot be served in bars-cum-restaurants after midnight. It was only a norm in Kolkata and abolition of the same will bring an end to all possibilities of inconvenience that a guest faces as he/she has to hurriedly finish his/her food before the clock ticks midnight. It is also learnt that rules have been relaxed in regard to keeping more than one bar open 24x7 in hotels above three-star. As per the usual norm, only one bar without a musical arrangement in a hotel above three-star could remain open 24x7. According to sources, it doesnt make any difference whether two or three bars are kept open when one is already operational. There were cases in which foreign visitors had to be asked to shift to another bar in the same hotel like the one in which he/she was drinking had to be shut because it was midnight. Despite repeated attempts, state Excise Commissioner Khalid Aizaz Anwar could not be contacted for comments.

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