Maharashtra dance bar owners welcome SC order to file application on licence norms

Mumbai: A dance bar association in Maharashtra on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court's order to file applications regarding the issuance of licences on old norms.

Earlier in the day, the bar owners had moved the apex court seeking licences on old norms. The court has asked them to file an application in the matter.

The court will now hear the case on Jan 11.

“We welcome the court's order on Maharashtra dance bar matter,” said Adarsh Shetty, president of AHAR, an association of over 8,000 bars and restaurants.

The owners have challenged the Maharashtra government's stringent norms to regulat bars.

On August 30, the apex court had issued a notice to the state government over a new law for dance bar licenses and asked it to reply within six months.

Besides objecting to the restriction of keeping a one-kilometer distance from religious or educational structure for setting up bars, they are also opposing the move to shut down bars before 11.30 pm, terming it as discriminatory.

The Dance Bar Regulation Bill, which was unanimously passed by the Assembly on April 13, among other things, prohibits serving liquor in performance areas and mandates that the premises must shut by 11:30 pm. It also imposes heavy penalties on dance bar owners and customers for not following rules.

(with ANI inputs)