BANGALORE: The State Government has decided to allow live band shows to go on. However, they will be strictly monitored.

The Government will issue a new Entertainment Order under the Karnataka Police Act to regulate live bands. The order is expected to be published in the gazette this week, and after the statutory 15-day period to receive objections, if any, the Entertainment Order will come into effect. The order will, in all likelihood, be in place by the end of next month.

In the news

Restaurants featuring live bands, or dance bars as they are known in Maharashtra, have been in the news of late, particularly after the Maharashtra Government imposed a blanket ban on them and members of the Karnataka legislature voiced concern. The State Government studied the matter in detail and decided to issue the new Entertainment Order.

Bars with live bands have mushroomed in Bangalore, and they are not restricted to the core of the city. Many are located on the outskirts.

The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, has directed the Home Department that such bars should be strictly regulated. While bars featuring live bands in Bangalore city will be governed by one order, there will be a separate one for those in the districts. There are around 53 live band centres in Bangalore city and over 100 in the districts, particularly in Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum, Mangalore and Gulbarga.

The Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department, Brahm Dutt told The Hindu here that although the new Entertainment Order under the Police Act will encompass all restaurants, there will have to be some exceptions. A restaurant serving only food and beverages cannot obviously be classified as a live band centre requiring it to obtain a licence from the police. Only restaurants that serve liquor where women are employed to sing will come under the live band classification.

The Commissioner of Police, Bangalore, S. Mariswamy, was instrumental in drafting the Entertainment Order. The police are of the view that Bangalore, which is a fast growing metropolis, needs a vibrant night-life, which includes avenues of entertainment. However, it has to be appropriately regulated.

Unlicensed

The live-band centres in the State have been operating without a licence from the police for the past two years following a Supreme Court judgment that classified them as entertainment centres and not amusement centres.

The Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, has said that the liquor licence of the live-band centres will not be renewed from July 1. It remains to be seen how that will affect the proposed Entertainment Order.

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