Rooftop restaurants vital for Mumbai's nightlife: Farhan Azmi

The rooftop restaurant policy was shot down once again. Your thoughts.
It is sad that a city which is being promoted globally by the current government did not approve the policy. We had a great chance on Wednesday, but unfortunately, because of some internal conflict between the BJP and Shiv Sena, the policy got rejected. On the one hand, there are plans of keeping Mumbai open all night, and on the other, you won't allow rooftop restaurants, which is also an important part of Mumbai's nightlife. Theatres are allowed to stay open till late but not food courts. It is a two-faced approach.

So, what do you plan to do about it now?
We are hopeful that the policy will be brought again and cleared by next month. I will individually meet all corporators to understand the hurdle and decide on what could be done next. I suggest removing the term 'hotels' and replacing it with 'commercial establishments' in the policy.

You met improvement committee chairperson and BJP corporator Ujjwala Modak on Tuesday to expedite the proposal, even though she denied discussing the issue with you...
Yes, I met her yesterday and she was very supportive of the policy. I don't know why she denied discussing the issue with me.

How would the policy being cleared have impacted the city?
At present, Mumbaikars can go to five-star hotels to experience a rooftop dining experience. They should be able to have the same experience in other standalone restaurants in the city. It will also attract tourism and investment to the city. More importantly, it will add to BMC's revenue. Most rooftop restaurants operating clandestinely will pay the civic body and not its officers under the table.