Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, said that licences of restaurants and bars will be cancelled if they repeatedly violate rules. He added that amendments to the law will soon be introduced to enable stricter action.
Intervening during a discussion in the Question Hour of the Assembly, the Chief Minister stated that the state had earlier enacted a law banning dance bars. However, the law did not stand scrutiny in the Supreme Court of India and was struck down as unconstitutional. Subsequently, the rules were amended to allow bars to obtain orchestra licences under regulated conditions.
Fadnavis said, “The court permitted women to work in bars, and we made the rules more stringent. Despite this, complaints of violations are still being received from areas such as Panvel (Navi Mumbai).”
He further stated, “We will conduct three to four hearings and impose penalties. However, if repeated offences are found, the orchestra bar licence will be permanently cancelled. A bill to this effect will be introduced in the current or the next session of the legislature.”
The Chief Minister noted that the government initially intended to shut down dance bars entirely. However, after bar owners sought orchestra licences, permission was granted with strict conditions. Despite these measures, complaints of rule violations continue to surface.
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