Mumbai gears up for a vibrant nightlife but the wait could be more than a year

Mumbai: While the city is already gearing up to celebrate its  nightlife,  the wait for a ‘party all night’ Mumbai could be much longer. Senior government officials from various departments dealing with the issue claim that series of approvals  required  for the proposal may take six months to a year, or even more.

Last week Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria approved the proposal of keeping pubs, bars and restaurants open all night with a rider that they must not be located in residential areas. Subsequently, Aditya Thackeray, the president of Shiv Sena’s youth wing, met the Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and discussed plans for revival of the vibrant Mumbai nightlife. Thackeray said that Fadnavis has accepted his proposal and is likely to be cleared in the upcoming budget session or in the monsoon session. The nightlife proposal was sent to the state government by the BMC in October 2013.

However, the government departments such as Home, labour, urban development and law and judiciary are not yet clear on the approvals required to make it happen and are still waiting to see the proposal. “Since we haven’t seen the proposal, it is not yet clear how many amendments it requires or whether any rules and regulations will be formed”, said an official from chief secretary’s office.

As of now, the officials said that it will require amendments in the Bombay Shops and Establishment Act, the Excise Act and in the Bombay Police Act. While the amendment in the Bombay Shops and establishment Act is required to allow men and women to work all night, the amendment in Excise Act is required to allow the establishments to serve liquor all night. At present, the Bombay Police Act allows eateries and bars to stay open till 1.30 pm. So, an amendment is required in this act to allow them to stay open all night.

Officials from Home department said that it has received Maria’s report and is now examining it. “After that, we will send the report to government with our remarks considering law and order and security aspects,” said a senior government official.

He added that though Mumbai Police’s approval was the most important, the proposal has to sail through many more departments  and approval is likely to take time.

A senior government official from the  labour department pointed out that the amendment into the Bombay Shops and Establishment Act may require the centre’s nod. “In October 2011, the state government had introduced a bill to amend the Act to extend the closing time from 8.30 pm to 10 pm. The proposal was approved by the both the houses of state legislature and was then submitted to the president of his assent, which was granted in November 2013. So, we feel that this proposal may also require president’s nod,” said a senior bureaucrat.

“Since the proposal is not yet ready, it would be premature to comment on it. We need to the see whether the subject is in the centre’s or state’s or in the concurrent list. If it is in the centre’s list, then we may need to get the president’s assent for it. It will be clear only when the proposal is ready,” MA Sayeed, principal secretary of law and judiciary department, told Firstpost.

Another government official said that the nightlife proposal and the special entertainment zone could be part of the state government’s new initiative of making Mumbai as an Entertainment hub. It might ensure that Sena doesn’t get all the credit for it in view of the upcoming civic body elections to be held in 2017, the official added.

Moreover, while Aditya Thackeray has now proposed that special entertainment zones in ‘malls’ and ‘mills’ remain open all night, it is also likely to take more time as it will require the demarcation of spaces in the proposed draft development plan (DP). “For the special entertainment zones, the spaces need to be demarcated in the draft DP. At present, it is not there in the proposed draft DP. It can be done added into it by giving suggestions but it will obviously take time,” said Pankaj Joshi, executive director of Urban Design Research Institute.

Hoteliers are also not clear about the amendments that need be done but are hopeful that the government will fast-track the process to make the necessary amendments. “As of now, the police have agreed to make the amendment into Bombay Police Act which is really a good move. But, we don’t know how many other amendments are required. We will take up the issue further to get it done at the earliest,” said Bharat Malkani, president of Hotels and Restaurants Association-Western India (HRAWI).