Like online shopping, the shops, eateries, and malls will also remain open for 24×7 in the non-residential areas in Mumbai from the mid-night of January 26-27.
Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Maharashtra tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday however said the option will not be made compulsory.
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The young Maharashtra tourism minister while giving examples of nightlife in London and Indore city of Madhya Pradesh, said Mumbai should not lag behind in providing similar facilities to people at night as the metropolis functions 24×7.
The 29-year-old Yuva Sena chief said associating nightlife with alcohol consumption alone was wrong.
A media report quoted Thackeray as saying: “Mumbai functions 24×7. If online shopping is open 24 hours, then why should shops and establishments be kept shut at night.”
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“It is not compulsory for shops and malls to be open at night. It is up to them if they wish to remain open. No norms have been changed,” he added.
Thackeray said he has been batting for all-night-open eateries and other establishments in the city since 2013.
He made it clear that the Maharashtra government would not tinker with the Excise norms.
“We are not tinkering with the Excise norms,” the minister said.
London’s night-time economy is worth five billion pounds, said Thackeray.
Another media report quoted BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Praveen Pardeshi as saying: “There are around two dozen malls, besides other places which will fall in this category. Since Mumbai is a city that is active almost round-the-clock, this is expected to benefit the people, besides tourists.”
The report quoted a police official as saying that currently, the existing regulations will apply for eateries or bars which choose to work 24×7, though it may be subject to review at a later stage.