HC sets aside stay on mid-year hike in bar, restaurant licence fees | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: In a setback to bar and restaurant owners challenging the mid-year hike in licence fees, the Telangana high court on Friday set aside an interim order of a single judge staying the implementation of the GO revising the fees during the ongoing excise year.The single judge had, on Nov 1, stayed the GO for four weeks while hearing petitions filed by bar and restaurant owners from the erstwhile Warangal district.Disposing of an appeal filed by the govt challenging the interim relief, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice P Sam Koshy and Justice Suddala Chalapathi Rao set aside the single judge’s stay and remanded the matters to the single judge for fresh consideration. It directed the single judge to examine the petitions afresh and pass a reasoned order.The govt contended that the interim order was arbitrary and sought its suspension. However, counsel for the petitioners opposed the govt’s appeal.Senior counsel P Vishnuvardhan Reddy, appearing for the bar and restaurant owners, argued that an appeal against an interim order was not maintainable under the letters patent.“Moreover, the govt did not file a vacate petition challenging this interim order,” he argued. Reddy also cited precedents and Supreme Court rulings in similar matters and urged the bench to dismiss the appeal.He further contended that issuing a GO midway through the excise year was not only illegal and arbitrary but also had a serious impact on businesses.“Given the maintenance of bars and restaurants, staff payments and other expenses, it has become difficult already and this additional fee in the middle of the excise year is increasing the burden multifold,” he added.Additional advocate general Mohammed Imran Khan appeared for the govt. After hearing submissions from both sides, the bench passed the directions.