Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, in a meeting held on Monday, directed officials to look into the possibilities of allowing rooftops restaurants in the city.
CM asked authorities to set up zones where bars, pubs, eateries and entertainment hotspots can remain open all night.
Mumbaikar will soon have more options to eat out and enjoy a Mumbai nightlife. The BJP-led state government has decided to extend its support to the hotel industry by bringing back ‘the nightlife plan’ on a pilot basis — this includes creating entertainment zones and formulating a policy for food trucks. The cherry on top is that warring allies BJP and Shiv Sena seem to have reached an understanding over allowing rooftop restaurants in the city.
The directives have been issued to the BMC and the state excise department, which will grant the restaurant and liquor licenses.
This entertainment zones, has been designated as ‘nightlife zones’, will first come up in South Mumbai, namely, Veer Nariman Road, Ballard Pier and Horniman Circle, on a trial basis. He added that officials should consider the feasibility in framing an independent liquor permit policy for rooftop bars. After gauging the response they receive, these ‘zones’ will be replicated in other parts of the city.
The proposed policy for rooftop restaurants, pending with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the past two years, could get a nod soon. This will be followed by a single-window system to issue licences to the restaurants.
The Shiv Sena has been pushing for a nightlife in non-residential areas of the city, which the BJP has opposed so far. But CM Fadnavis has asked officials to go ahead with the plan on a pilot basis.
Two years after the BJP opposed Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray’s pet project — rooftop restaurants — the two warring allies are now working to reach an amicable ground and approving the policy in the civic body. For more than four years, the Sena has been continuously trying to get the policy approved, But the BJP has been rejecting it calling because it said the plan was ‘against the culture’.
The police was against the proposal over security concerns. However, the chief minister directed to designate three non-residential areas as nightlife zones where pubs, bars and eateries can remain open until 4am. The project will tested for six months and that too only two days in a week — Friday and Saturday. “Those who want to enjoy can come and enjoy the night without disturbing others,” said a senior official, on condition of anonymity.
A senior official from excise department said they have no problem in issuing liquor licences to rooftop restaurants if they are having restaurant licenses so it is up to the BMC to come with a specific policy on the issue.
