Mumbai has been given liability to party till 5am, on NYE but Delhiites will have to head home after 1.In light of a recent circular issued by Maharashtra government allowing hotels in Mumbai to stay open till 5am on New Year’s Eve, Delhi’s party people say it’s unfair that their celebrations end so.
“It would have been great if we could’ve been open till 4am, but we allowed to remain open only till 1am. Only five-stars can stay open 24hours,” says Gagan Kapur, owner of Buzz, a nightclub in Saket. “Stand-alone clubs only have the licence to stay open till 1am— so our New Year’s Eve party will be on till that hour,” says Abhijeet Baruah, manager, Kuki in Masjid Moth. “We will be open from 8pm till 1am, like any other day. There is no extension for us,” says Sammir S Gogia of Harem, Garden of Five Senses.
Interestingly, even pubs with the licence to serve liquor all day can’t prolong the party. “According to the law, all nightclubs, eateries and pubs have to be shut by 1am. Also, they are only allowed to play music till 12.30am. There are some clubs with a 24-hour liquor licence, but we have not granted any extension in timings,” says Madhup Tiwari, Additional CP, Licensing.
“Though we have the 24-hour licence, what’s the point, once the music is off, people will leave. New Year’s Eve loses its charm with such deadlines,” says Mohit Jain, owner of JYNXXX. “This is so unfair; people should be allowed to decide their own deadlines,” says Rahul Madan, 25. “Mumbai may be safer than Delhi, but it’s unfair that our party hours suffer,” says Meena Singh, 28.
Meanwhile in Mumbai The Maharashtra government recently issued a circular permitting all hotels in Mumbai city and suburbs to remain open till 5am on New Year’s Eve. This came after a petition was filed by the Indian Hotels and Restaurants Association with the Bombay High Court, asking for a special extension on the occasion.
