Nightclub-specific licensing may now top govt to-do list

PANAJI

The Arpora nightclub tragedy which claimed 25 lives has forced the Goa government to act and nightclub-specific licensing is one option the Pramod Sawant government is treating as top priority.

Officials said the idea was on the table earlier but was stalled by nternal pulls within the ruling political dispensation. 

A decision was delayed over the question: which department will control the licence. 

Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte wants it under his ministry. He has called for an 'umbrella policy' to centrally monitor compliance across nightclubs, spas, and restaurants, insisting that safety norms must be strictly enforced. 

Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on the other hand suggests routing it through the Entertainment Society of Goa, headed by his wife and Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo.

Meanwhile, the safety audit committee led by Revenue Secretary Sandip Jacques, IAS, is likely to come up with the framework. It will define how nightclubs get licences and what safety norms they must follow.

Right now, nightclubs in Goa have been operating for years as restaurants or bars. There is no separate licence and no State in India has one with operators relying on a patchwork of NOCs and authorizations from multiple departments and authorities.

For the government, however, the tragedy at Arpora which claimed 25 lives has made safety non-negotiable. An official said the government is veering towards the view that a dedicated licence could tighten oversight and bring accountability.

But politics continues to loom over the process: Control of the licensing regime could mean influence over Goa’s booming nightlife industry and tussles between ministries and MLAs could pose a taller hurdle to overcome than drafting and enacting the licensing regime itself for the Sawant-led government.