NOIDA: Looking to give nightlife and the state’s excise coffers a lift, UP govt has formed a five-member committee that will take a call on whether to extend curfew hours for
bars
in the city and Ghaziabad.
In a meeting with the excise department on Friday, the Noida restaurant owners’ association sought permission for bars to operate till 4am. Bars in the city are allowed to stay open till 1am now.
Subodh Kumar, the district excise officer in Noida, said the committee reviewing the bar timings was formed by excise commissioner Adarsh Singh, and included joint director of statistics Jogendra Singh and deputy excise commissioner Alok Kumar, among others.
“Noida and Ghaziabad are part of NCR, and the per capita income of local people and economic activities are also similar to those in other NCR cities. In this context, it is important to explore new sources of revenue for the excise department. The committee is required to submit a report on this within 15 days,” a letter issued by the commissioner read.
At the meeting, restobars owners told the excise department officials that it was high time that bar timings in Noida aligned with those in cities like Delhi and Gurgaon.
“We suggested that bars in Noida should be allowed to stay open till 3-4am at least. Like it is in Delhi and Gurgaon, where the nightlife has matured by far,” said Varun Khera, president of the Noida chapter of the National Restaurant Association of India.
In May 2022, Delhi govt extended the timings of bars by two hours till 3am, on the payment of a licence fee. In Gurgaon, bars have the option to operate 24/7 if they take a licence for it.
Khera said extended timings would help people choosing to unwind after a night shift. “Noida has many offices that operate 24×7. As of now, there are several restrictions on late-night parties here, which force people to travel all the way to Gurgaon or Delhi. The revised timings will not only help people dine too at bars, but also increase govt revenue by far,” he said.
Members of the committee said it was crucial to ensure the changed timings did not impact law and order.
“We are looking into the proposal of extending bar timing by a few hours. However, this extension will be considered carefully to ensure that it does not create a law-and-order situation,” Kumar said, adding that similar measures had been proposed for Ghaziabad too.
As part of plans to augment revenue, the excise department is also planning to issue licences for food and beverage establishments in IT parks.
“When the Noida airport is up and running by the end of this year, nightlife is expected to be more vibrant in the NCR city. Keeping this in mind, we are planning licences for food and beverages in IT parks that operate 24/7,” Kumar added.
The restaurant association has also requested for a unified portal to simplify the process of securing licences. As of now, NOCs are required from various departments like Noida Authority, police, fire and food safety departments.
“A unified portal will simplify this process of tapping various departments,” the excise official said.
