The extension of nightlife by allowing restaurants to open till 1 a.m. on all days and bars till 1 a.m. on weekends could perhaps be short-lived. For, the extension of deadline is only for three months and senior police officials feel that it may be only a temporary measure to appease youth ahead of general elections.
About 2,500 Home Guards to be deployed along with the police personnel to maintain law and order in the city would be not be of much use and pressure on the city police will only increase, a senior police official said. The official pointed out that the new rule, made applicable for only three months, will only be extended based on the feedback from the enforcement agencies, including the police, later.
Another senior official said that the extension of deadline — albeit for three months — will also come with extensive drive against drunken and rash driving.
The traffic police will be intensifying patrolling in the central business district and at major junctions in and around the city to keep a tab on the violations. “The relaxation of timing we feel is only for a short-term and the government will rethink about it. However, special drives against drunken and rash driving will also be intensified to keep a tab on the violators. Even collection of fine will increase,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, City Police Commissioner Raghavendra H. Auradkar said that he was bound by the orders and ready to meet the new challenge. “We are planning to buy 45 vehicles which will be exclusively used for night patrolling and the home guards will be tagged with the regular police for night beat. Special drives will be launched to maintain law and order and also to monitor traffic violations", Mr. Auradkar said.
