Bengaluru hoteliers ask govt to remove trade licences for their industry

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bangalore Hotel Association (BBHA) has submitted a letter to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, outlining a series of demands aimed at simplifying business operations for the hospitality sector.

Among their key demands is the removal of trade licences, arguing that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence and professional tax already fulfil the same requirements. They also requested permission for restaurants to operate 24/7.

BBHA President Subramanya Holla S told DH: "The central government has permitted 24/7 operations for restaurants in metro cities. While the state government has agreed to this in principle, we have yet to receive official approval.

“If you go outside after 2 am, you will see many street vendors operating. So, why not allow restaurants? We want to provide people with more late-night options. We are also requesting that trade licences be either removed or issued in perpetuity, as the FSSAI licence already covers the same requirements. Currently, we’re facing harassment from multiple agencies."

Arun Adiga, Managing Partner of Vidyarthi Bhavan, added, "The trade licence and FSSAI licence require the same conditions and need to be renewed annually. Why not make trade licences permanent? Businesses that wish to operate 24/7 should be allowed to do so without interference from authorities. While the BBMP has agreed in principle, police approval is still pending."

The BBHA also called for factory licences and shop and establishment licences to be granted in perpetuity and for the withdrawal of a proposal to increase factory licence fees by tenfold.

Vikas Suralkar, Special Commissioner for Health and Animal Husbandry at BBMP, stated that 24/7 operational permission falls under multiple government departments, and not solely the BBMP. “I recently met with BBHA representatives, and we are seriously considering their licensing requests,” he said.