'CCTVs at dance bars will maintain girls' dignity'

Move also to stop exploitation, reasons Maharashtra govt

 Disregarding the Supreme Court’s observation that installing CCTV cameras at dance bars is unacceptable and impermissible, the Maharashtra government has claimed before the top court that the proposed measure would help maintain dignity of girls, prevent their exploitation and avoid any unnecessary harassment by the police.

The state government also cited study conducted by institutions and NGOs like Prayas, Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini and Research Centre for Women’s Studies in SNDT University, Mumbai and Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai, which stated the bar girls between 18 and 30 years of age are uneducated or less educated.

“They are from poor strata of the society. Also further most of the girls or artistes have entered the profession not by their choice but have entered by compulsion. The state being concerned with the dignity and exploitation of such poor uneducated/less educated bar girls, installing the CCTV cameras and live feed of the same to the police control room will help to maintain the dignity of such girls and prevent their exploitation,” it said in an affidavit.

In case of installation of CCTV cameras and live feed of the same to the police control room, there will be check on the police and transparency for both the parties will be maintained, it added.

The state government also claimed it had enquired with various restaurants and bar owners who said that they had installed CCTV cameras in the bars, restaurant and public areas like reception, lift, entrance and exist to hotel, which among others, will help reduce crime.  The cameras would not only ensure personal safety of the dance bar girls but would result in quick response from police in case of any untoward incident, it said.

It also submitted that the restaurant is a public place as per the provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951. “There is no question of encroachment upon privacy of any individual/customer visiting the restaurant/permit room,” it said, adding the “place of public amusement" meant any place where music, singing dancing, or any game is organised.

The state government also defended its decision to impose conditions like there would not be any concealed room in dance bars, which could be used for “immoral” purpose.

The apex court, which had struck down in 2013 Maharashtra’s ban on dance bars, had on February 24 observed the right to practice one’s profession cannot be curtailed by using such tools as CCTV cameras on objections raised by the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association over those fresh conditions.

The court had in October, 2015 allowed dance performances, allowing the government to regulate it to check obscenities.

The state government also defended its decision to impose conditions like there would not be any concealed room in dance bars, which could be used for immoral purpose.