Maharashtra To Stop Issuing New Live Music Licences For Bars

The Maharashtra government has announced that no new licences for live music performances in bars will be issued under the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951, while existing licences will not be renewed after they expire. The move follows an amendment aimed at preventing dance bars from operating under the guise of orchestra or live music licences.

According to a government resolution issued by the state home department, live music licences granted under the Public Entertainment Rules had increasingly been used to bypass restrictions imposed under the Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms and Protection of Dignity of Women (Working Therein) Act, 2016.

The amendment, approved during the monsoon session of the state legislature and subsequently notified in the Maharashtra Government Gazette after receiving the Governor's assent, shifts such establishments under the ambit of the 2016 law.

State Minister for Home Pankaj Bhoyar said the revised framework introduces stricter penalties to curb violations. Offences under the 2016 Act can attract imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to ?25 lakh for obscenity-related offences, while other violations may lead to imprisonment of up to three years and fines reaching Rs 10 lakh.