Guj Houses passes bill to exempt restaurants from cop license

The Gujarat Legislative Assembly today passed a bill exempting restaurants in the state from securing a mandatory police license to run their business, which the government said would boost new investment in the state.

The bill amended certain provisions of the Gujarat Police Act 1951 that mandate restaurants to get a license from the police official concerned to start their operations.

The present Act also makes the renewal of the license, also called as 'certificate of registration' compulsory at regular intervals.

While introducing the Gujarat Police (Amendment) Bill' in the House, Minister of State for Home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja said the decision to do away with the mandatory police approval has been taken by the government in view of representations made by various trade bodies.

"It came to our notice that restaurant owners are going through unnecessary hardships in getting a license from police under this Act to start their business. The problem was conveyed to us by the Hotel and Restaurant Association as well as by the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry," said the minister.

Jadeja said the restaurant business is an important component in promoting tourism sector in the state and this decision would promote new investment in that sector.

"In order to promote ease of doing business in the state, we have decided to amend the present Act so as to save the restaurant owners from facing unnecessary hardships in getting or renewing their license from police. Now, they are no longer required to get that license from police," he said.

Jadeja said the police license is not required anymore as restaurant owners are already required to obtain many other permissions, such as health license, GST registration, fire safety and Building Use permission.

The bill was passed by a majority vote in the 182-member Assembly where the BJP has 99 MLAs and the Congress 77.