09 May,2011 06:24 AM IST | | Aishwarya Kadam
Closing time of 12.30 am in city will mean better service for several working professionals who leave office late
The demand for an extension in the closing time for restaurants in the city has finally been heard. On Saturday morning the city police extended the deadline to 12.30 am for all restaurants. The directive was issued after the Pune Restaurant and Hoteliers Association (PRHA) appealed in February for a deadline extension to cater to the needs of the growing city.
More than 7,500 restaurants and several working professionals who are at their jobs till late in the night will benefit from the decision. The restaurant business in the city is worth Rs 3 crore a day. The deadline extension is expected to increase their business by 15 per cent every day.
"This is a good development. The clause has been added in the gazette and a press note released," said Ganesh Shetty, president of PRHA. "The extension means a lot to us and our customers. This will help us maintain good relations with customers. Previously, we had to rush them to give their orders because the time to shut for the day would be nearing. Now they can relax, enjoy and eat in peace. Business will now increase upu00a0 to 15 per cent."
He was thankful to the police department for their support and cooperation and also to MiD DAY for covering the issue extensively in the 'Hot Seat' feature on February 28. Santosh Shetty, owner of Sudama hotel, welcomed the decision but said the police could explore a further extension of the deadline till 1.30 am. "Yes, it is a good decision, but I am not entirely satisfied with it. Other cities across Maharashtra, like Mumbai and Nashik, enjoy more freedom with a 1.30 am deadline," said Shetty. "This should also be applied to Pune, which is home to many IT professionals and students. While the move will surely help increase profits, what we are more interested in is providing good service."
Many restaurant owners refused to comment on the issue as the gazette had not reached them yet. Additional Commissioner of Police (Admin) Sanjeev Kumar Singhal, who played a crucial role in the resolution of the deadline issue, said the move would bring in uniformity in the closing time for restaurants in the city.
"As far as security is concerned, the 12.30 am deadline is not going to make a big difference. The real issue out here is that the deadlines for closing for different restaurants varied from 11 pm to 12.30 am depending on when the licences had been issued," said Singhal. "There were some restaurants which were permitted to close at 12.30 am, while the others had to shut at 11 pm. This decision is more of a clarification, which is now applicable to all."
Voices
Indeed, it's good news, especially for us IT professionals. Now working late will be even more fun with the deadline extension. Earlier, we had to hurry with our orders. Now, we can take our own time and not go hungry
ufffd Bharat Jain (24), Assistant System Engineer
This is good news. People can now enjoy late night dinners. The only concern out here is that this decision should not cause any inconvenience to the residents of the area, like playing of loud music. This decision should not create problems regarding other laws
ufffd Akshay Borawake (29), Software Professional
It is wonderful news. There are times when we students do not get our dabbas and have to rush out to eat at the last moment. At such times, it's difficult to find a restaurant which will cater to us
ufffd Priyanca Bose (19), Student
