Mumbai, Maharashtra: Thousands of entertainers and those employed in the profession of dance bar entertainment need to wait no more. The Supreme Court passed its verdict in the legality of the Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms and Protection of Dignity of Women (Working therein) Act, 2016 today.
The apex court relaxed stringent conditions set by Maharashtra government for getting licences for running dance bars and upheld the time of five and half hours for dance performances.
The performers will be allowed within the restriction of the premises of the bar and discotheques. Showering of money has been disallowed by SC however the performers can be tipped by customers.
The SC has also made measures paving the way for opening of dance bars in Mumbai and other cities in Maharashtra. The relaxed conditions prio0r to those imposed by the Maharashtra government will allow for moderate business.
The Maharashtra Prohibition of Obscene Dance in Hotels, Restaurants and Bar Rooms and Protection of Dignity of Women (Working therein) Act prohibited women to dance in commercial establishments and had imposed as many as 20 restrictions which forced the industry to shut down in the financial capital.
The apex court heard the pleas of hotel and restaurant owners and an association of women dancers, waitresses, singers and other performers who challenged the Act.
Earlier, a bench of Justice A K Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan reserved the argument in August 2018 after hearing the pleas of interested parties. The bench said there is ‘total moral policing’ in the state which hasn’t allowed dance bars to function despite repeated orders by the Supreme Court.
PNN
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