West Bengal to allow women to work in bars, Bill passed in Assembly

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The West Bengal Assembly on Wednesday (March 19, 2025) passed a Bill to allow women to work in bars.

The West Bengal Finance Bill, 2025, was tabled by MoS Chandrima Bhattacharya in the Assembly.

It seeks to amend the Bengal Excise Act, 1909, “to remove the prohibition on employment of women in ON category liquor shops as such provision is discriminatory”, among other things.

While ‘Of’ shops are outlets that sell liquor, at ‘On’ shops, consumption of liquor is allowed on the premises.

Concluding the discussions on the Bill, Ms. Bhattacharya said the State government does not believe in discrimination between men and women.

Among other provisions in the Bill, it empowers the State government to monitor the supply of various raw materials, including jaggery, to prevent illegal liquor brewing, she said.

The Bill will also amend the Bengal Agricultural Income-tax Act, 1944, to give tax relief to the tea industry, especially smaller tea gardens that have been facing hardship since the pandemic.

“There is no financial implication involved in giving effect to the provisions of the Bill,” it said.