Maharashtra govt to amend law to stop dance bars exploiting loopholes: CM Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the state government will amend the Mumbai Police Act during the ongoing monsoon session to close loopholes
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the state government will amend the Mumbai Police Act during the ongoing monsoon session to close loopholes that, he said, are being used by dance bar operators to get around strict rules. He told the state assembly that the amendment would ensure that establishments holding such performances can get licences only under the provisions that govern dance bars, where stricter conditions are already in place. The announcement came as members raised concerns over regulation, noise pollution and repeated violations. Read Full Story Replying to an issue raised by Congress leader Nana Patole about dance bars operating in Thane district, Fadnavis said the government had imposed several conditions under the Dance Bar law to regulate such establishments effectively.
“The loophole in the existing law has been exploited by operators who obtain licences under another law instead of the Dance Bar law. We are bringing an amendment so that such licences can be issued only under the amended Mumbai Police Act. They keep finding loopholes and we keep closing them,” he said. On complaints about loud DJs and noise pollution, Fadnavis said permissions are granted under the existing Noise Pollution Rules and action is taken against those who break them. He also said the government was examining, in consultation with the Law and Judiciary Department, a proposal to amend the law so that licences of establishments found repeatedly violating the rules can be cancelled permanently.
Fadnavis said the government understood the concerns raised by members, but laws had to be framed within the limits of constitutional freedoms. “There is a difference between public sentiment and the law. We have to ensure that constitutional freedoms are not misused, but there is a very fine legal line,” he said. He also said action had been taken against police personnel found guilty of wrongdoing in such cases, though he did not have the exact number of officers. During the discussion, members expressed concern over the rising number of dance bars in parts of Bhiwandi and alleged that they had become centres of crime, while urging the government to tighten regulation.
BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar suggested setting up a panel of legal experts to identify possible loopholes in proposed legislation before it is enacted. Overall, the discussion centred on tightening the law, enforcing existing rules and preventing misuse of legal gaps by dance bar operators. Ends
The BriefWire