Times View

NEW DELHI: The Mumbai police’s decision to let nightclubs and bars remain open 24X7 has rekindled the debate on why Delhi shuts down just past midnight. With Delhi Police sticking to its original stand of not allowing nightclubs to remain open beyond 1am, club owners and partygoers argue that if Mumbai can let residents party all night, then so should the capital.The strength of Mumbai police is half of the 85,000-strong Delhi Police but the latter still thinks that maintaining law and order and ensuring safety of women late at night will be a difficult job given the present infrastructure.They say the current order of shutting restaurants by 12.30-1am, depending upon their licence and type, shall prevail. Earlier in Mumbai, restaurants shut down by 12.30-1.30am and those in four-five stars went by 3.30am timings. In the capital, even clubs that have a 24/7 licence can’t play music after 1am though they can serve liquor.Cops rejected club owners’ plea that they can take care of their own security on the ground that clubs can’t ensure security once women leave the premises. “Keeping them open till morning will lead to a spurt in crime. There can’t be a hard and fast rule when it comes to maintaining law and order and the security arrangements and permissions are city/town specific.In Delhi's scenario, we believe that shutting the clubs down by 1am helps the police in ensuring women's safety and maintaining law and order," a senior police officer told TOI on Monday. The police say they fear a rise in pub brawls and drunken driving if premises are open all night.The Delhi Police have for many years been denying permission to nightclubs, pubs and bars alleging they don't follow norms or security measures. However, clubs had appealed for a curfew extension, while promising to adhere to rules. At present, the nightlife curfew has even become stricter with the police commissioner B S Bassi instructing all joint commissioners of police and DCPs to ensure that establishments shut down latest by 1am.The cops of New Delhi district and south district have been asked to give special attention to the issue as most clubs are in these two areas.The issue is dealt with such priority that the SHO has to inform the DCP about the timely closure who, in turn, informs his joint CP and the communication also reaches the special commissioner and the commissioner.In case of any violation, major or minor, police issue challans and any negligence in enforcement of licence rules gets conveyed to the licencing authority and steps for prosecution and licence cancellation are initiated depending on the severity of the violation.This newspaper has consistently maintained that an active nightlife is an essential part of any modern city. Letting bars and restaurants remain open round the clock is a step in that direction. We welcome the fact that the Mumbai police have seen sense and said they have no objection to all-night bars, discos and pubs. Delhi Police should take a cue from their counterparts in India’s commercial capital. It is high time Delhi too allowed bars and restaurants to function 24x7.