Keeping in mind Mumbai’s status as a global city, the state government is contemplating allowing restaurants and pubs at places such as malls, railway stations and airports to stay open round the clock. Currently, only five-star hot-els are allowed to keep their bars and restaurants open all day.

Chief secretary JK Banthia, who held a meeting on creating a single-window clearance system for licences for pubs and restaurants on Thursday, said he has asked the police and legal departments to consider the suggestion.

“Mumbai is a global city and in some places, such as malls, near airports, railway stations, we should allow restaurants and pubs to function round the clock. Of course, this will not be allowed in residential areas. If agreed to, it will require tweaking of some rules,” said Banthia.

The government has also appointed a consultant who will work towards bringing licensing under an umbrella and create a one-window clearance system for bars and restaurants to ensure transparency. “Establis-hments have to get at least 30 permissions from different departments from health to police, and inspections for these licences is causing harassment. We want to make this simpler to stop illegal establishments,” added Banthia.