No licences until dance bars meet conditions, says Maha govt

After Supreme Court orders state to issue eight licences by May 12, govt reiterates it will only license those that comply with all its conditions

Even as the Supreme Court, on Tuesday, asked the Maharashtra government to issue licences to dance bars within the next two days, the Devendra Fadnavis-led government struck a cautious note. The government, reacting to the SC’s order, said that it will only issue licences to those bars who will comply to all its stringent conditions the government has imposed.

No relief yet (HT)

The government had earlier imposed 26 conditions on bars, which many bar owners and dancers had called stringent and impractical.

Defending the government’s caution, Ram Shinde, minister of state for home also said that maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the state government.

“We are ready to issue licenses to all dance bar owners. But for that they have to comply with the rules and regulations imposed by the state government. How can we give licenses to those who are not complying with the rules,” Shinde told HT.

He was reacting to the SC ruling in which the apex court has rapped the government for delay in issuing licenses to dance bars and said that it must maintain constitutional norms. The apex court also directed the government to issue licenses to eight dance bars in two days.

The state has passed a new to regulate dance bars which will come in to effect once it was approved by the President. Until then, licenses will be issued on the basis of existing rules and regulations, he added.

Some eight dance bars owners have applied with the state home department for licenses to run dance bars — Ratna Bar, Aero Punjab, Durgaprasad, Good-day Saiprasad (Classic), Uma Palace, Natraj Bar and Indiana Bar.