Bengaluru pubs are facing the music as several residents are protesting live bands and loud music, and with the government now in the fray, it seems like the city's days as the 'pub capital' are on the verge of ending.
Pubs all over the city are coming under immense criticism, with citizens calling the buildings 'illegal' in several cases, forcing the government to intervene.
Earlier this year, Bengaluru Police Commissioner T Suneel sent out letters to all pubs and restaurants, saying they would need a license to play music, both live and recorded. The letter was in compliance with a Supreme Court order in January under the Licensing and Controlling of Places of Public Entertainment (Bangalore City) Order, 2005.
The commissioner asked for all commercial establishments to produce their Occupancy Certificate (OC) and a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department. While the NOC was obtained, several pubs have faced issues in getting their OC since it is usually produced by the developer or owner of the building and was never made mandatory till now.
Another big issue for most venues is that they are not in compliance with the pre-sanctioned plan, hence getting the OC now is proving to be a major hurdle.
In response, several owners joined hands with musician Debjeet Basu to create a Change.org petition to "save music in Bengaluru". They have also asked the government for time to find a solution since several pubs are also to get their NOC from the Fire Department as the current official in charge of the audit has retired, and there is no permanent replacement.
Pub owners have also blamed residents for adding to their woes, saying that several residents accuse them of encouraging immoral activities and drug use. Bar owners assert that they want to work with the residents and take action against pubs that are non-compliant with several norms such as sound-proofing.
Residents are also accusing pubs of adding to garbage and parking woes, especially in Indiranagar, a posh locality that has one of the highest numbers of pubs in the city. So while the impasse between residents and owners continues, musicians are left out since they would lose out on a huge chunk of income if live music is banned.
The 2005 law was brought in to curb dance bars, but the poor wording has meant it can also extend to any venue playing live music. The law was meant to go into effect in 2018 but was delayed due to the Assembly elections. Now with a sudden crackdown looming, it seems like Bengaluru's days as the 'pub capital' are indeed numbered.
