Two days after a 30-year-old man died after he was allegedly assaulted during a brawl between seven employees of a private firm and pub staffers at a Sector 38-A pub, the excise department met all pub and bar owners on Thursday and directed them not to employ bouncers at their establishments.
The excise department also asked all pub and bar owners in the district to hand over an affidavit listing details of their employees at the earliest.
To be sure, the practice of keeping ‘bouncers’ in pubs and bars is not legal though many such establishments across the country hire them for ‘security’ purposes.
“Employing bouncers for the security of pubs and bars is illegal. In case of an emergency, the police should be called at the earliest. We will have to cancel licences if the owners don’t abide by this rule,” said district excise officer Rakesh Bahadur Singh.
He added the list of all employees also needs to be submitted at the earliest. “We have asked all pubs and bars to submit an affidavit on a ₹100 stamp paper with name and contact details of all employees, including barmen, waiters, managers and other staff. We will get their police verification done,” said Singh.
The department also asked the pubs to ensure they display the rules related to driving under the influence of alcohol so that instances of drunk driving can be controlled.
Excise officials said there are 83 licenses issued for pubs and bars in Gautam Budh Nagar district, most of which are in Noida. Gardens Galleria mall in Sector-38 itself has 14 such pubs and bars, which have a permanent liquor license while several others take occasional licences. “There are nearly 20 pubs and bars in Gardens Galleria mall, which regularly serve alcohol. The police has also increased vigilance around the area at night,” said Singh.
The excise department has already cancelled the licence of the pub, where the man was allegedly assaulted, and has issued a notice to it to respond within a week. The premises have also been sealed for now.
Commissioner of police Alok Singh also held a meeting with all police officials on Thursday and instructed them to ensure faster response in case of emergencies. He instructed all police stations to regularly monitor areas around malls, pubs and restaurants.
“A team has to be immediately dispatched to the spot in case of a complaint in the area. Moreover, saving lives should be a priority. So, in case of an injured person, they should be given immediate medical aid before taking any other action,” said Singh.
Meanwhile, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) also asked all pubs and bars in the area to comply with the norms and behave properly with customers. “We have asked all pubs and bars to ensure that in case of any misunderstanding, the police should be immediately called to resolve the issue,” said Varun Khera, head of Noida chapter of NRAI.
The above news was originally posted on www.hindustantimes.com
