The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) carried out a demolition drive against two rooftop restaurants for operating without proper permissions in the Kharadi area on Wednesday. The two restaurants, Tyk Tyk and Quarter, which were spread over 8,000 sqft, were operating without compliance with safety regulations. The crackdown was also carried out in the Viman Nagar, Koregaon Park, and Kalyani Nagar areas of the city. This comes after the Porsche crash incident, which claimed the lives of two techies.
"Today, PMC is undertaking the demolition of encroaching pubs after the tragic death of two youngsters. This is just a temporary measure. What about the completely illegal pubs operating on rooftops and in residential complexes? When will their licenses be revoked? We need permanent solutions, not superficial actions. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has called for the permanent closure of pubs lacking necessary permissions and converting parking spaces into dining areas. When will PMC, the excise department, and the collector enforce these orders? The community demands a lasting resolution to these ongoing violations," said Monica Sharma, Team Swachh Kalyani Nagar.
The Free Press Journal tried to contact city engineer Prashant Waghmare but did not receive any response.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Excise Department on Tuesday sealed two outlets, Cosie restaurant and Hotel Blak Club, where the 17-year-old boy involved in a fatal car crash was served liquor. While Cosie is located in Koregaon Park, an area adjacent to Kalyani Nagar, the Blak Club is in Mundhwa.
"The Cosie restaurant and Blak Club in Marriot Suite have been sealed with immediate effect by the state excise department following orders from district collector Suhas Diwase," said a statement from the district administration.
Besides, a special inspection drive has been started by the excise department to ensure pubs and license-holding restaurants do not serve liquor to underage patrons and operate beyond the 1:30am deadline, said the statement. If any violations are found, cases would be registered against such establishments and their licenses will be canceled, it added.
(With PTI inputs)
