BENGALURU: Even as several musicians and pub owners gathered on Sunday at Vapour Pub in Indiranagar to protest against the ban on live music, RTI queries by residents in the area have shown that the pub itself is lacking in safety standards. They say the protest on the ban on live music is a ploy by pub owners to divert attention from the issue of the legality of such establishments.
The consortium of various RWAs in Indiranagar and iChange Indiranagar had filed RTI queries in December 2017, in an attempt to crackdown on illegal rooftop bars following the Kamala Mills incident in Mumbai. And one of them was Vapour.
According to the RTI document (a copy of which is in possession with CE), Vapour Pub has ‘no setbacks (open space around the building), fire prevention measures, firefighting measures as per the National Building Code (NBC)/ zonal regulations.’ The document further says that the pub has not obtained any NoC from the Fire and Emergency Services. Various floors of the building are decorated with combustible material, gas cylinders are stored on the rooftop.
Rajesh Dangi, member, iChange Indiranagar says, “We recently heard about the gathering at Vapour Pub. Even though it has around 100 people or more at any given time, it does not comply with most of the safety measures. We have information on a number of other pubs, but do not want to bring this in the public domain. We want to use it in courts where we presently fighting it out,” says Dangi.
A statement from iChange Indiranagar states that the Licensing and Controlling of Places of Public Entertainment (Bangalore City) Order, 2005, mandates that such establishments (pubs, bars) seek licences – apart from the operation alone – from the police to play music.
The licences are granted when documents such as a plan approved by the BBMP, a copy of the partnership deed, a copy of the lease agreement or title deed, a safety certificate from an approved electrical contractor and others, are submitted. “A majority of these establishments do not have the documentation in place for this licence to be issued. In addition, many of them operate in residential zones,” it states.
The organisation says that they are against live music performance or artistes. “We are convinced that this is a ploy to divert attention from a very simple question: Are the establishments which are protesting the government’s order, legal?”
Why ban live music for building violations?
Rahul Tadimalla, member of band, Border Blast says, “Venues such as bars and pubs support live music, and to kill them would mean taking away livelihoods from those dependent on the industry. I do not understand how getting licences for fire safety, approved BBMP plan has anything to do with banning live music. In most of the venues we have played at, they follow the rules quite strictly, including playing within the permitted hours to complying with the permissible decibel levels.”