Thu Mar 20 00:48:28 UTC 2025: ## West Bengal Allows Women to Work in Bars
**Kolkata, India -** The West Bengal Assembly passed a bill Wednesday eliminating a decades-old ban on women working in bars. The amendment to the Bengal Excise Act of 1909 removes discriminatory clauses that previously prohibited female employment in “On” category liquor shops, where alcohol consumption is permitted on the premises. Minister of State Chandrima Bhattacharya, who introduced the West Bengal Finance Bill 2025, stated the government’s commitment to gender equality. The bill also includes provisions to strengthen monitoring of raw materials used in liquor production to combat illegal brewing and offers tax relief to struggling tea gardens, particularly smaller ones impacted by the pandemic. The government claims the bill incurs no additional financial burden.
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