Hotels, mandi houses flout closing deadline right under nose of cops

Hyderabad: Many hotels, restaurants, Mandi Houses and other eateries are running their establishments illegally beyond the stipulated deadline of 1 AM in the Old City of Hyderabad.

It has been observed that a majority of hotels, especially Mandi Houses are operating till late night seemingly without any concern of action from police, who appear to overlook these illegal running of the eateries. This trend has raised eyebrows among residents who have observed that these establishments operate with a level of freedom defying the rules of the permitted business hours.

According to observers, these hotels have become hotspots for nightlife, and at times they exhibit antisocial behavior. In Old City areas like Charminar, Shalibanda, Moghalpura, Kalapather, Chandrayangutta, Barkas, Errakunta, Malakpet, and other areas of Nampally, Mallepally and Tolichowki, the hotels, restaurants and Mandi Houses were seen operating illegally till 3 AM.

Particularly, the Mandi Houses located in Barkas, Errakunta, which is the hub of mandi were functioning till late night. Mohammed Ahmed, an observer said the police must take action against such violators for operating till late in night and seize when found operating. “These eateries downed their shutters but still served customers through back doors till late night. Though the police are aware of such unlawful activities, they overlook,” said Ahmed. The late-night activities of hotels and restaurants sometimes disrupt the peace for nearby residents. As some youngsters gather and create nuisance with smoking, bike riding, and performing stunts, said K Venkatesh, a resident of Shalibanda.

This weekend, during a police patrol, Balapur police apprehended the owners of mandi houses in Errakunta and warned for stern action. Police also counsel the customers against staying up late at night and dining after midnight.

In September, the government has announced to keep open all eateries up to 1 AM every night including hotels, restaurants, dhabas, ice cream parlours, bakeries, tiffin centres, coffee shops, tea stall, paan shops, etc. and all shops, apart from eateries, are permitted to operate between 9 am and 11 pm.

However, the police have been instructed by the higher officials to act tough against the commercial establishments particularly hotels and bakeries that operate late in the night beyond the stipulated time.