Maharashtra govt may ask civic body to review policy

Mumbai: The state government is likely to ask the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to review the controversial rooftop restaurant policy after Friday’s blaze at Kamala mill compound in which 14 lives were lost. In November, the BMC had approved the policy to rooftop restaurants in the city. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had asked the BMC Commissioner to implement the rooftop restaurant policy in two to three months ago. The policy was stuck for a long time because of disagreement between the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Excise commissioner Ashwini Joshi had taken action against the 43 rooftop restaurants in Mumbai three months ago for allegedly misusing one-day permit licence for commercial gain. After the crackdown, the hotel owners approached political leaders.

MP Poonam Mahajan and National Restaurants Association of India President Riyaz Amalani had met to the CM to discuss problems faced by the hotel industry. The chief minister asked the official to take steps for ease of doing business and also asked the BMC commissioner to implement the policy.

While Yuva Sena chief Adityaa Thackeray supported the proposal, BJP was opposing it. However, after CM Fadnavis’ direction, the rooftop policy was cleared by the BMC recently. But implementation has not been started yet, and many rooftop hotels are running illegally.