Another bar sealed in Bhubaneswar over COVID-19 norm violation

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) last night sealed Moody Blues Bar & Restaurant at Gajapati Nagar here over violation of COVID-19 guidelines.

A Joint Enforcement Squad of the BMC led by Zonal Dy. Commissioner (North) Purandar Nanda, Zonal Dy. Commissioner (South East) Ansuman Rath, Asst. Commissioner (Enforcement) Lilan Prasad Sahu and OSD to BMC on COVID Duty Swarup Behera raided the bar, during which it was found fully packed with customers at 10.30 PM in gross violation of the guidelines.

The guests were evacuated immediately from the premises of the bar while it was sealed for indefinite period by the BMC Enforcement Team.

Similarly, Smog Resto Cafe at Gajapati Nagar was also sealed by the team over the same offence.

Notably, several officials of the BMC were stuck in an elevator of a business establishment at Chandrasekharpur here for around 40 minutes on September 18 night as employees of two bars located in the building snapped the lift’s power connection intentionally during a raid by a BMC team.

“A BMC team and policemen raided the two bars– Booze Buzz Inhouse and Upre Kitchen & Cafe– over violation of COVID-19 guidelines as those were open even after 10.30 PM. As we entered the lift, the employees disconnected the power supply for the elevator. We were stuck in the lift for around 40 minutes,” said Anshuman Rath, BMC Deputy Commissioner (South-East Zone).

Later, other officials and policemen reached the spot and took the stairs to reach the bars. They found people dining and consuming liquor. Soon, the employees started thrashing the policemen and tore uniform of some of them, said Rath.

He further added that the staff didn’t restore the power supply for the elevator till 11.05 PM. The two bars have been sealed by the BMC for indefinite period.

As many as five persons have been arrested in this connection.