india

Updated: Dec 27, 2018 14:46 IST

Aaditya Thackeray, chief of Shiv Sena’s youth wing, wants residents of Mumbai, Pune and other cities in Maharashtra to be able to party throughout the night for New Year’s as they need “more space and time to unwind after hours of work”.

The son of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has written to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to allow Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai and other cities that wish to celebrate New Years to be “open all night for all legal activities of entertainment and celebration, especially in non-residential areas.”

In his letter, the Yuva Sena president also highlighted that the move would help to generate more employment and revenue for the state.

“Legal establishments in malls and mill compounds open 24X7 will be a boon for Maharashtra. We need to trust our citizens and give them more space and time to unwind after hours of work,” the 28-year-old also wrote.

Thackeray also reminded Fadnavis that the proposal for non-residential areas to be open 24X7, which was first passed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in 2013 and given a green signal by various authorities, is yet to get a nod from the home department, which is headed by the chief minister.

“The proposal for Mumbai is awaiting your approval from the Home Dept. for a few months now and is foolproof,” he said.

“I am sure, you will consider both my requests positively.”

Thackeray has been an ardent supporter of making Mumbai a tourism hub and advocating that malls, theatres, food establishments, chemists, and convenience stores, especially in non-residential zones, should be allowed to operate through the night.

Fadnavis has been cautious of the proposal over concerns of law and order issues. In addition, citizen groups have also been against it as they see it as a nuisance during the night.