Cafes, restaurants allowed to stay open till 1 am at Delhi’s Siri Fort Sports Complex, L-G grants permission

India

pti-PTI

New
Delhi,
Dec
21:
Delhi
Lt
Governor
V
K
Saxena
has
allowed
cafes
and
restaurants
in
Siri
Fort
Sports
Complex,
Qutub
Golf
Club
and
Bhalswa
Golf
Club
here
to
remain
open
till
1
am
from
Wednesday,
a
move
aimed
at
bolstering
the
city’s
nightlife
ahead
of
new
year
festivities,
officials
said.

These
DDA
joints,
run
by
private
licensees
and
offering
food
and
beverages,
have
a
daily
footfall
that
runs
into
thousands.
Earlier,
visitors
to
these
complexes
could
avail
food
and
beverages
only
between
9
pm
and
11
pm,
officials
said
on
Tuesday.

“This
comes
as
a
gift
to
the
people
of
the
city
during
the
festive
season
and
the
forthcoming
New
Year.
Starting
today,
residents
will
be
able
to
avail
and
enjoy
a
richer
night
life
at
these
premier
locations.
“The
same
would
also
result
in
increased
economic
activities
resulting
in
more
revenue
generation,”
said
an
official.

The
official
added
that
a
vibrant
nightlife
and
robust
night
time
economy
are
also
being
envisaged
pro-actively
and
strongly
in
the
Master
Plan
Delhi
2041.

3
cases
of
‘highly
infectious’
Omicron
subvariant
BF.7,
driving
China’s
Covid
surge,
detected
in
India

“In
a
decision
that
will
boost
much
demanded,
hitherto
lacking
night
life
in
the
national
capital
and
provide
impetus
to
night
economy,
Lt
Governor
VK
Saxena
has
approved
the
opening
of
restaurants
and
cafeteria
in
the
Delhi
Development
Authority
(DDA)
owned
Siri
Fort
Sports
Complex,
Qutub
Golf
Club
and
Bhalswa
Golf
Club
till
1
am,”
said
the
official.

In
an
order,
the
DDA
has
directed
authorities
at
the
above
mentioned
three
complexes
to
ensure
adequate
security,
lighting
and
parking.
He
added
that
the
LG
has
been
consistently
pushing
for
Delhi
to
have
a
nightlife
comparable
to
other
national
and
international
capitals
and
metros.

The
Municipal
Corporation
of
Delhi
has
already
granted
about
150
licenses
to
eateries/restaurants
for
open,
terrace,
alfresco
dining
in
different
localities
of
the
city.
In
a
related
development,
the
New
Delhi
Municipal
Council
(NDMC)
has
come
up
with
a
draft
policy
that
permit
restaurants
in
Connaught
Place’s
inner
circle
to
use
open
spaces
for
serving
food
between
9
pm
and
1
am
on
Fridays,
Saturdays
and
Sundays.

However,
they
won’t
be
allowed
to
serve
liquor
or
prepare
dishes.
Saxena
had
in
August
approved
long
pending
applications
of
314
commercial
establishments
that
include
online
delivery
services
of
food,
medicines,
logistics,
transport
and
travel
services
and
other
essential
commodities
apart
from
KPOs
and
BPOs
to
operate
on
a
24×7
basis.

He
had
also
constituted
a
High
Power
Committee
to
ease
and
facilitate
license
requirements
for
restaurants/eateries
and
directed
it
to
examine
the
existing
regulations
and
suggest
ways
of
expediting
the
licensing
processes.