You may soon be relishing food atop your office building. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is likely to move a proposal allowing rooftop restaurants in all commercial city buildings housing corporate offices and malls.
As reported earlier, the BMC tabled its 23-point rooftop restaurants policy before members of the improvement committee for their sanction. One of the clauses of the policy limited permissions for such restaurants to only those structures used for operating hotels. The committee members, however, questioned the clause and insisted the civic body allow all commercial building owners/managers to let house rooftop restaurants.
"Why limit the permission to hotels? Corporate offices too need restaurants. Hence, these can be considered in the list of structures where terrace restaurants can come up. Also, the civic body must allow toilets on terraces," said Surendra Bagalkar, Shiv Sena corporator and committee member.
Mohsin Haider, Congress corporator from Andheri, supported Bagalkar. BJP corporator Prakash Gangadhare sought to have a comprehensive policy in this regard.
Reacting to the suggestions made by the corporators, deputy municipal commissioner (improvement) Kishor Kshirsagar assured that the changes will be incorporated and the policy will be reworked prior to tabling before members during next meeting. He also admitted that there are hotels which have already been operating rooftop restaurants. "If the BMC grants hoteliers permission to run restaurants on terraces, it will help garner revenue," he added.
The corporation had first considered the policy in 2012 to exploit the scenic view of the city's coastline. Other clauses in the policy include not allowing cooking food on terraces, letting restaurants operate until stipulated hours as permitted by the police, not covering terraces barring monsoon, and following heritage.
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