Restaurants in Bengaluru will soon be allowed to operate round-the-clock, a victory for the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels’ Association who have been demanding for long to keep establishments open 24×7.
Following this decision, Bengaluru will now join Mumbai and Hyderabad that are open 24×7.
Proposal finally accepted
The move comes following a long standing demand by the Association which was accepted by the state Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
While it was agreed upon by the state governments in the past, no firm commitment was made due to security concerns.
“We met the DyCM and submitted a proposal to keep hotels and restaurants open round-the-clock in the city. Shivakumar listened to our demands and responded positively.
If everything goes well, an order allowing hotels and restaurants to be open round-the-clock might be issued within a week or 10 days.” Association President PC Rao was quoted as saying.
Positive impact
The decision will benefit employees working night shifts, auto and cab drivers, and others who may require services during unconventional hours.
It is also a positive step towards the ambitious Brand Bengaluru initiative which seeks to push the image of Bengaluru as a tech capital.
Hotels exclusively for night hours
Bengaluru has over 24,000 small and large hotels, with approximately 10% of them ready to operate 24×7.
The association said there is interest among many establishments to open new hotels and restaurants which would operate exclusively during night hours.
Opposition from police
With regards to security issues Rao said, “Shivakumar feels that our demand will help employees working night shifts, auto and cab drivers, and others. It will complement the Brand Bengaluru initiative”.
Seeking industrial status
The association members also urged Shivakumar to consider granting “industrial status” to the hotel sector.
This would include a simplified licensing procedure, with a single license replacing multiple licenses such as trade and Food and Safety Standards Authority of India, in order to streamline operations.
