In four and five-star hotels, restaurants and bars can stay open 24 hours (Representational)
Restaurants and bars in high-end hotels will now be allowed stay open round the clock as licensing rules were eased in what has been pegged by the authorities as a New Year gift to the hospitality industry.
In four and five-star hotels, restaurants and bars can stay open 24 hours. Those within the airport, railway stations, and the ISBT (Inter State Bus Terminus) too can operate round the clock. The eateries in three-star hotels can operate till 2 am and the rest are allowed to run business till 1 am.
The changes come following a report by a panel set up in November by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to ease the license requirements for restaurants. Applicants are expected to be able to avail the new licensing regime from January 26, officials said.
As part of easing the licensing process, the authorities have decided that 28 documents will no longer be required and the applicants will get their licences within 49 days. The licences will be granted for three years by the Delhi civic body and for nine years by the Delhi Police and the Delhi Fire Service. The Common Application Form too has been trimmed to just nine pages from 21, removing 140 fields.
The police verification process will become online. Besides, all agencies will now follow the financial year end March 31 for the purpose of issuing permits.
The move will ensure the ease of doing business and give a boost to night economy, officials said.
Currently, over 4,500 applications for restaurants from 2021 and 2022 are pending with the authorities, besides 359 applications for lodges.