The much-touted Mumbai nightlife 'scene' is likely to be back in full force, primarily due to the downward trend in new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the city.
According to reports, Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray has hinted that the prospect of the 'nightlife' might soon be allowed by the state government to resume in full force, given the number of daily COVID-19 cases in the Mumbai has been going down.
According to a report by Mumbai Mirror, Aaditya said that in view of the 'Mission Begin Again' in Maharashtra, restaurants have been allowed to remain open till 1 AM. Therefore, the much-talked about nightlife scene will resume soon as well.
Notably, the much-touted Mumbai nightlife experiment had received a tepid response on the first night of its implementation on January 26, primarily due to the lack of awareness about the new regime.
Even so, Aaditya Thackeray, the prime mover behind the Mumbai 24x7 initiative, appears optimistic.
Cleared by the state Cabinet on January 22, the 'Mumbai 24 Hours' policy allows shops, eateries and theatres in malls and mill compounds located in non-residential areas to remain open round-the-clock.
The policy came into force from the January 26 midnight. Aaditya had earlier said that the shops complying with safety and waste-processing norms are being allowed to operate under the Nightlife policy".
He reiterated that Mumbai is safe for all and it will remain so.
As per the policy, keeping shops, malls and eateries open in the night is optional and not mandatory.
Explaining the rationale behind the need of such a policy, Thackeray had said that Mumbai is a "24x7 functional city" where people who work in night shifts and the tourists in transit need to have access to food in late hours.
The bars, permit rooms and pubs are currently excluded from the purview of the policy.