Bangalore:
The police in Bangalore on Tuesday issued a raft of strict guidlines for women employed in bars and restaurants, including uniforms and barring 'obscene' activities in a bid to ensure morality and public order at bars in the city.
The order, issued by Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari, said it was aimed at checking illegal activities in bars and restaurants, particularly in dance bars.
"The order has been issued in the interest of maintenance of public order, morality and to prevent the exploitation of women employed in bars to induce the customers or for any other purpose, Bidari said in a release.
It comes in the wake of reports about instances of women employees being found indulging in singing, dancing, and "indecent display" and made to converse with the customers and collect tips.
Police also directed the owners of such outlets to furnish list and details of women employees to licensing authority.
Noting that women employed by the bars and restaurants were being changed very frequently and the number of women employed in many cases exceeded the seats available for customers, the guideline said the women headcount will not be more than one-fourth of the number of seats available for customers.
It said a proto-type of the uniform for women employees should be submitted to the licencing authorities for approval while allowing the liquor house to devise any "decent uniform".
The bars have also been directed to inform the licencing authority whenever any woman employee quits. Similarly, particulars of new employees should be furnished at least 10 days prior to her joining.
The licensing authority would have powers to initiate legal action if any bar knowingly permitted any illegal activity or found soliciting for immoral purpose.
The order specifies that bars shall not hold music dancing, dramatic, mimeties, theatrical or other performances for public amusement sans license.
Music shall include the playing of gramophones, phonographs, radios, radio gramophones, tape-recorders bands tom-tom, drums, cymbals and any other music and does not include instrumental or vocal background music played below 2 decibels, it said.
It also said liquor house shall be open from 10 am to 11.30 pm.