Mangaluru: The liquor bandh in the state will see over 10,800 liquor licence holders shutting their shops on November 20, Karnataka Wine Merchants Federation office bearers said on Thursday.

“We are expecting 85-90 percent participation for our bandh,” Govindaraj Hegde, General Secretary of the Federation told PTI. The liquor shop owners have called for a bandh to protest against the “corruption in the Excise Department of Karnataka”.

“Things are getting out of hand, the government is unleashing uncontrolled competition by giving new licences without any regard to the prevailing rules. We provide a business of 38,000 crores per annum in the state, but many of the dealers are complaining about not being able to sustain their business due to corruption in the department,” Hegde said.