Residents question Dehradun’s ‘lax nightlife regulation’

Dehradun:The death of Brigadier Mukesh Kumar Joshi (retd), 74, who was shot during a morning walk after being caught in crossfire between two groups linked to a nightclub brawl, has once again turned the spotlight on Dehradun's nightlife. Residents said the mushrooming of nightclubs in recent years has been significant, with bars and lounges spreading across neighbourhoods. The concern, however, is not the growth itself but the "lack of systematic oversight" accompanying it."We have adopted a development model that mirrors metro cities, leading to clubs and bars in almost every locality. But supervision does not seem to have kept pace. Many establishments are not being tracked. Several violate safety norms, liquor regulations and noise restrictions. What happened on Monday was tragic, but not unexpected," said long-time resident and lawyer Reenu Paul.Social activist Anoop Nautiyal echoed concerns about accountability. "It is important that authorities must maintain a comprehensive database of such establishments. It is alarming that a bar could operate till morning. Police, administration, excise department and MDDA cannot function in silos. There has to be collective accountability."Another resident, who did not wish to be named, added that"bars and pubson Mussoorie Road and Rajpur Road stay open till late and people drink till early morning, with police often failing to intervene."Residents said there is need for preventive policing and stricter enforcement. "A few years ago, there were only a handful of clubs on main roads. Now they have spread into smaller streets, playing loud music into the early hours. The clientele is often drunk and unruly. This is not just about outsiders. Local youth and students are being served irrespective of legal drinking age. Without stronger enforcement, the city's character is at risk," saidAshish Garg, a resident of Sahastradhara Road.The incident has also revived concerns flagged in the past. A fire at a nightclub in Oct last year had led to a temporary suspension of its excise licence. "Oversight must be continuous and penalties for repeat offenders need to be far stricter," Nautiyal added.Officials in the district excise department said nearly 200 establishments in the state capital have applied for permanent liquor licences."We are aware of residents' concerns and have intensified inspections in recent years. The licence of the Gen-Z bar, linked to Monday's incident, has been cancelled and excise sub-inspector, Soban Singh,has been suspended. We will continue to crack down on violators," said VK Joshi, excise in-charge, Dehradun.While district magistrate Savin Bansal and city magistrate Pratyush Singh did not respond to calls, a senior official with the Dehradun Municipal Corporation said, "A previously opposed licence fee proposal has been revived following the incident.""The aim is to create a comprehensive database to regulate such establishments, ensure accountability and enforce compliance with norms," the official added.
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