After receiving numerous complaints from eateries about cops forcing them to shut down till 11pm, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Pratap Reddy issued an order allowing them to operate till 1am in the city. He also told police officials to follow a government order issued in 2016 that allowed eateries in Bengaluru to operate between 6 am and 1 pm.
Pratap Reddy’s statement released on Friday said, “The Bangalore Hoteliers’ Association complained that the hotels were closed at 11 pm even though they were allowed to open till 1 am. In the said order dated: 01-07-2016 with effect from 01-07-2016 in the public places under the jurisdiction of the Bangalore City Commissioner, the working hours of the food and snack places are permitted to operate from 6 AM to 1 PM. In this regard, the individual Deputy Commissioners of Police and their subordinate officers are instructed to inform the staff to take necessary action as per the rules.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Hoteliers and Restaurant Association (BBHRA) wrote to the then Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant in April, requesting the department to allow the business to operate for a longer time.
The owners have urged the government to consider the request following the financial damage the establishments have faced during the lockdown and restrictions in the city due to the Covid pandemic.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bomai, however, said it was not possible for the government to allow businesses to operate round-the-clock.