Bar industry protests closure of Juhu, Malad bars, citing unfair targeting after Worli accident

The bar industry is angry over the summary closure of Global Tapas bar in Juhu and the action taken against Sai Prasad bar in Malad (W) following the accident in Worli on Sunday. The industry is also angry over the recent action taken against bars in Thane.

In a strongly worded statement, the president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of India, Sukesh Shetty, said that “the action taken against restaurants in the last few weeks in Maharashtra is a knee-jerk reaction against the restaurant industry due to the hit-and-run accidents involving a few rich youths.”

“Some bureaucrats, to protect themselves from their misdeeds, have created scapegoats for whom restaurant owners are easy targets,” he said.

Shetty observed that “it is a sad state of affairs that instead of digging deep into the root cause of the problem and finding solutions to the problems, there is an attempt to divert attention from the accident scene and the perpetrators of the crime to minor infractions in restaurants, which has no bearing on the occurrence of accidents.”

The fundamental problems of the industry have been ignored, which restaurant owners face on a daily basis, due to the outdated state excise laws which encourage corruption in the state administration, he said.

“We sincerely believe that the government should regularly interact with the industry and the younger generation to collectively bring about transformation and create awareness about the ills affecting our society as a whole,” Shetty suggested.

Another bar owner said the industry generates millions of rupees in revenue and yet it is treated with negligence. He said several permissions have to be obtained before opening a bar, which is a legitimate business. Yet the industry is viewed with suspicion.

Published on: Saturday, July 13, 2024, 5:55 PM IST