Following the inferno on Dec 6 at the nightclub ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ in Arpora (Goa), the government cracked the whip and raided, checked, partly demolished and sealed some of the clubs that did not have licences, fire safety equipment, proper entrances and exits and had other serious shortcomings. The fire set off alarms even in the distant Municipal Corporation of Delhi that ordered its 12 zonal officers to detail the hotels, restaurants and bars that operate without licences. The instructions were given on Dec 11 to prepare and submit a report within 5 days (time period is already over) and to immediately shutdown the establishments and penalise the offenders. Perhaps the ripple-effect of Arpora has been felt in the other States too and there would be a nation-wide crackdown on illegal nightclubs and bars and offences being carried out. Hope that the ripple-effect does not turn into a low-tide effect and dies a natural death. After all, vested interests would have invested heavily into such recreation businesses and would not wish the authorities to take it easy and not to pursue the matters whole-heartedly and to the logical end.
