Bengaluru: A day after corporators mooted the idea of taxing rooftop bars to augment BBMP’s revenue, a federation of resident welfare associations (RWAs), under the banner 'I Change Indiranagar', raised objections on Tuesday. Ms Swarna Venkataraman, vice-president, Indiranagar 1st Stage League, told Deccan Chronicle, “As per building bylaws, the BBMP should first close down rooftop bars, instead of thinking of earning revenues from them."
“Even after knowing that such bars are illegal, as per Sections 299 and 304 of the Karnataka Municipal Council Act, how can elected members think of such an idea,” she questioned.
While there is no official figure on the exact number of rooftop bars across the city, Ms Swarna said that according to a survey carried out by the RWAs, Indiranagar alone has over 60 such bars. “If one area has around 60 of them, then one can imagine how many there are across the city,” she said.
Listing the problems being faced by the residents because of these bars, she said, “Loud music played at these bars till 1.30 am, drunkards spilling over to peaceful residential lanes and playing loud music in their cars and dancing around, and haphazardly parked vehicles, making it difficult for residents to come out and go inside their houses."
Apart from these apparent problems, regularising rooftop bars will also have other hidden issues, like drugs and prostitution, she said. First of all, the BBMP's town planning department should not have turned its blind eye to this violation of converting terraces into rooftop bars, she said.
Right from the BBMP to excise department, hands of officials have been greased to get this going, she alleged. “Apart from our fight against commercialisation of residential areas, we shall fight against rooftop bars too,” she said. Mayor Padmavathi was not available for comments.
