MUMBAI: While Mumbai's island and suburban cities witness a dip in issuance of one-day new year party or club license this month over December 2019, the distant suburbs in Thane, Raigad and Palghar are showing almost three times rise in the number of such parties.
According to officials and hoteliers the Covid-effect that has lingered on due to the hotel staff not returning from their native places and some bars still to recover from pandemic-induced losses are haunting the owners who don't want to take risks until the demand rises beyond 2019 levels.
Similarly, this year the new year celebrations are falling at the weekend which has led to lesser bookings as, hoteliers say, a larger number of people have travelled outside, such as towards Konkan, western ghats, Nasik, Aurangabad and to the jungles around Nagpur.
Meanwhile the Bombay high court has issued a conjunction order --- in favor of an agency that recovers copyright fees on behalf of some film banners --- directing those holding new year parties charging entry fees from customers to buy the rights if they have to play songs from the films produced by banners such as Zee, Eros, Tips, Red Ribbon, SPI Mustic, Third Culture and Yashraj.
This, observers say, might lead to party goers missing popular hindi tracks such as kala chashma, zingaat, lat lag gayee, dhating naach, malhari etc in the absence of a copyright. Meanwhile, hoteliers have pointed out that the agency involved has been fined for filing suits and making demands in the past through a Madras High Court order.
To a rise in number of parties in distant suburbs, excise officials from Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts which have several civic bodies and bars and hotels spread across beaches and western ghats, claimed that this time the establishments as well as citizens were more aware of departmental orders to procure party license at places where the liquor was to be served. In the background of covid, the enhanced level of awareness has led to increased number of licenses, they pointed out.
Also, since people from Mumbai have travelled to nearby remote places falling within these surrounding districts, the number of party license issued has swollen, they add. These licenses are issued where the public is invited and charged entry fees for new year parties such as bars, hotels or society premises and clubs. The premises where the liquor is to be served, is to be covered and children below 18 years age are not supposed to be allowed the entry inside.
The excise officials have warned of serious consequences on private or licensed establishments which will be serving liquor at new year parties by charging entry fees if they don't opt for one-day club license for unlicensed areas such as terraces, lawns etc. The party organizers, may be even the housing societies, can apply for the same through government portal https://aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in/
