More rules added to draft dance bar bill

In the new draft the number of conditions for obtaining a licence has increased to 37 from the existing 26

Dance bar owners may find it difficult to restart their business if the new draft bill proposed by the state government is passed by the legislature as the number of norms has been increased.

The home department has also made it mandatory for bar owners to comply with the conditions of some other departments such as the fire brigade and theatre censor boards. (File photo)

In the new draft proposed by the state, the number of conditions to be complied with for obtaining a licence has increased to 37 from the existing 26.

The home department has also made it mandatory for bar owners to comply with the conditions of some other departments such as the fire brigade and theatre censor boards.

“The bars will have to comply with the additional conditions by other departments such as fire safety and theatre censor boards. The fire department has more than 30 conditions,” said an official from the home department.

Soon after the Supreme Court, in its interim order in October last year, asked the state government to issue licences to the dance bars to restart their business, the home department had laid down 26 norms. Five of them were modified by the SC during the hearing on March 2 this year, while the condition of the CCTV cameras inside the bars was struck down by restricting the installation of the cameras at the entry and exits of the establishments.

The draft states that the violation of any norms related to obscenity and vulgarity will directly lead to the violation of the license norms.

“The draft also makes it mandatory to maintain a register with all the details including age, educational qualification, nationality, Adhaar number of the employees working in the bars. The employees, including the performers and women waiting on tables should be employed on fixed salary with provident fund,” the draft states.

The additional norms make it compulsory to have independent washrooms and lockers for the women working in the bars.

The draft includes compliance with related laws including Maharashtra Police Act, Sexual Harassment at the Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, among others.

The official said the state was planning to clear the bill in both the houses before April 18, the next hearing in the SC.