Ban on Live Music, Disco Continue - No Liquor Beyond 11 pm : Acharya
DHNS
Bangalore, Aug 12: Home Minister V S Acharya on Monday rejected the demand to allow disco and live music in public places during night hours in the city, saying that the decision has been taken in the interest of maintaining law and order.
“The line between the dance bars and discos is very thin. We are not allowing disco and live music during night in the interest of law and order,” the home minister told reporters here.
A section of the art and theatre fraternity had staged a protest on Sunday, demanding a vibrant night life in Bangalore.
The protestors wanted the government to allow live music and cultural events in public, in the night hours.
The Government has allowed the serving of food 24/7, since a huge number of people work night shifts in several companies, and construction activities also go on late into the night. But the ban on sale of liquor beyond 11 pm will continue, Acharya said.
Asked why the Government is not allowing dance bars despite the court order, the Home Minister said the order clearly states that dance bars should not come in the way of maintaining law and order.
On Kannada activists raiding a rave party on the outskirts of Bangalore on Saturday, the minister said the owner of the resort where the party was going on, had violated license conditions by allowing consumption of liquor and drugs. The police are investigating into the case, he added.
Discos closed down
Commissioner of Police Shankar Bidari said on Monday that 32 discotheques were closed down after the police raids recently.
Speaking to reporters, he said that the police were tipped off about the discotheques being run illegally. They raided these discotheques and closed them. Legal action has been initiated against the owners, and no discotheque was functioning in the City now, Bidari added.
The government had framed a policy for discotheques in 2005. The discotheques would be allowed to function only if they are abiding by the norms, said the Commissioner.
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