It's official: Bars, restaurants to remain open till 1 am

Nightlife in the City would soon bristle with life. The State government has decided to allow bars and restaurants here to function till 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays, while eateries can operate till 1 am everyday. 

An official announcement was made by Home Minister K J George on Saturday.The decision will come into effect once the excise and police commissioners issue notifications extending the deadline, sources said.

The extended nightlife will be applicable only to areas under the jurisdiction of the Bangalore Police Commissionerate. The government will take a decision whether to continue with the extended nightlife regime after three months. “We held several meetings with all stakeholders, different sections of the society and weighed in all pros and cons before taking the decision,” George said. 

He added that there were requests from various quarters, especially the youth, that the deadline for a cosmopolitan city like Bangalore should be extended from the present 11 pm to 1 am.

Positive response

George said the chief secretary had recently convened a meeting of top officials of the excise and tourism departments and got a positive response. 

Recently, a vision group appointed by the State government to promote tourism recommended extension of the deadline till 1 am in Bangalore in view of the City making a mark as an international  tourist destination.

The home minister said the police will take all steps to maintain law and order. Patrol vehicles are being purchased at a cost of Rs 5 crore. Besides, around 1,000 home guards have already been deployed in Bangalore. More personnel will be deputed if required, he said.

The minister, however, denied that the government timed its decision to woo young voters ahead of the polls. He also did not want to subscribe to allegations that the government succumbed to pressure from excise and bar lobbies.