Mumbai, Mar 16 (TOI): Eleven years after they were shuttered, Mumbai's dance bars seem set for a revival with the state renewing the permits of four establishments within the Supreme Court-dictated deadline of March 15.

Sixteen more are expected to get permits in a day or two and the first dance bars could throw open their doors as early as next week, said people connected to the bars. But the hard-fought resurgence comes under the very dark cloud of a proposed law--the draft is said to be ready--imposing a code of conduct on dance bars that could make it very difficult for them to function.

Late on Monday evening, police issued licences to four bars--Indiana at Tardeo, Natraj at Vidyavihar, Uma Palace in Mulund (West) and Padma Palace at Bhandup. Four dance bars in the city have got their permits re newed after verification of the premises to ensure the conditions laid down by the SC and the government have been met. Bharat Thakur, president of the dance bars' association affiliated to Ahar, an association of over 8,000 hotels and bars in city , said it would take at least five-six days for the dance bars to start business as a few formalities like getting the Rangabhoomi licence from the cultural affairs ministry and police verification of employees and artistes are yet to be completed.

"I am feeling very happy that now after years of battle, I will finally get to start the dance bar. I have got the licence, but I am waiting for my friends to get their licences so that we can share the happiness of starting the business together," said Thakur, who is also the owner of Indiana in Tardeo.

The court battle that started after the state government banned dance bars in 2005 ended on March 2 when the Supreme Court threw out the state's latest hurdle and ruled in favour of the bar-owners. Politicians cutting across party lines have over the decade consistently taken a stand against the "obscene and vulgar" dance bars and introduced laws that have not passed muster with the apex court. Soon after the latest ruling, BJP chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had tweeted: "The state can't permit obscenity ... in the bars. We will approach the SC with an alternative."

The draft law to regulate dance bars is ready , said a Mantralaya official, and is waiting to be discussed by an allparty committee of members of both Houses of the legislature. Once approved, it will be tabled in the House, most likely in the ongoing Budget ses sion as indicated by Fadnavis.

"The law that the state is working on will introduce a code of conduct for owners of the dance bars. They will have to adhere to the law to be able to function," said the official "The guidelines will consist of measures to be taken to avoid obscenity and vulgarity in the dancing. Modifications will be made in excise rules and secu rity norms will also be tighte ned," added a home depart ment official.

For the moment, bar owners are basking. "We are very happy that dance bars will finally reopen and all those who lost their jobs will finally be able to earn their livelihood again," said Adarsh Shetty , president of Ahar. The hospitality industry expects about 100 licences to be renewed by the end of the month.

Mumbai police said they had received only 50 applications, but city bar owners claimed that nearly 150 had their requests pending. Another 200 from across the state are also awaiting police permissions to reopen. There are in all, 750 dance bars in state, including 350 in Mumbai.

Thakur said the licences will revive an industry that once witnessed a turnover of over Rs 3,000 crore and provided employment for over 75,000 people, including dancers, waiters, musicians and support staff.

Varsha Kale, a social activist who leads the Indian Bar Dancers' Union, said the major challenge for the establishments was not getting bar dancers, it was to "ensure that the businesses remain sustainable in the long run without malpractices and controversies. It is the duty of the owners and all other stakeholders to ensure honour in the business". Kale said there were over 50,000 dancers when the ban was announced in 2005 and this time, many more were ready to join the profession.