How many eateries are there in KP?

PMC, police and excise department rattle out three different figures, in reply to RTI applications by a resident on number of restaurants in Koregaon Park

PMC, police and excise department rattle out three different figures,u00a0in reply to RTI applications by a resident on number of restaurants in Koregaon Park

Are figures to be believed? If yes, whose version? Three different licencing agenciesu00a0-- the police, Pune Municipal corporation and state excise departmentu00a0-- are giving different figures of hotels functioning in Koregaon park area. If the police pegged the number of eateries at 13, the excise department put it at 26. But according to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), 35 restaurants are operational in the area. The figures came in public domain in form of reply to RTI pleas to the licencing agencies by Wilson Dhanpal, a resident of South Koregaon Park.


Food for thought: Many eateries are coming up in Koregaon Park.
Representation pic/Krunal Gosavi

Irked by the illegal parking, rash driving and honking in the dead of night by customers thronging the eateries in his neighbourhood, Dhanpal sought to know the actual number of eateries functioning legally in the area. According to him, there are at least 60 restaurants functional in the area. And if one goes by the PMC figures, 25 of them are functioning without licence. When Dhanpal confronted PMC Health Officer Jagdish Sonawane on the actual number of eateries, he said the rest had been asked to submit documents.

When MiD DAY asked health department chief R R Pardeshi about the exact number, he suggested this reporter fax him the questionnaire and answers would be available only after two days. In reply to Dhanpal's RTI plea, the city police said only 12 eateries on North Main Road and one on South Main Road have been issued eating house licences. Police Inspector Ukhaji Sonawane of the Bundgarden police station said, "Cases have been lodged against two eateries operating without licence under the Bombay Police Act."

According to the excise department, only 26 eateries have been issued liquor-serving licences, while six have bee issued licences to serve beer. When MiD DAY contacted Sunil Chavan, state excise department superintendent, he said, "I have asked my officers to personally visit the Koregaon Park area to verify these claims and take stern action against the offenders."

Explaining how the mushrooming eateries were eating up on the social value of the youth, Lt General D B Shekatkar, chairman of Mohalla Committee in Koregaon Park, said, "The eateries serving liquor illegally are influencing youths in a wrong manner. There have been cases of accidents due to rash driving. "Not only this, irrational honking by patrons in the dead of night robs local residents of their sleep. Many of these illegal restaurants are operating on residential premises, causing health hazard to residents. We have taken up this issue seriously." Yogesh Pingale said, "The PMC officials do not take action against owners of illegal establishments for reasons better known to them."

The Other Side
Cheeru Chandawarkar of Malaka Spice said, "We have all the necessary licences in place. It is shocking that the list of eateries given by police to RTI applicant do not have our name, we have to go back to the police to verify that."