MOSCOW, April 17 (RAPSI) – Russia’s State Duma has passed in the second and third final readings a bill empowering regional authorities to put caps on sale of alcoholic beverages or ban the operation of public catering businesses, the premises of which are situated in apartment houses or in close proximity thereof, a statement of the lower house of Russia’s parliament reads on Friday.

The document also regulates the minimum standards of customer areas of such establishments, which are to make no less than 20 square meters; however, regional authorities are free to set higher respective standards at their discretion.

According to Chair of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications Alexander Khinshtein, the law is aimed at empowering regions to set additional requirements and regulate sales of alcoholic products in public catering establishments.

The bill has been initiated and approved because of the numerous complaints of residents of such houses; besides it envisages closing a gap in legislation permitting unprincipled businesspersons to sell alcoholic beverages in prohibited time, the deputy says.