No late night vada pavs, stalls to shut by 11pm

PANVEL: Vadapav stalls, betel shops and all other stalls in the city will have to shut shop by 11pm according to a recent police order. The order is aimed at curbing crimes during the night.

Sunil Bajare, who took over as the senior police inspector of Panvel police station earlier this week, has given the instructions.

The central location of Panvel has led to vehicles, state transport and private buses and autorickshaws plying day and night in the region. A number of hawkers and vendors have set up stalls that are open till late in the night.

Previously, shops were allowed to be open till 10 pm. The earlier limit of 9 pm was extended by an hour last year.

Though the regular shops shut down, the Chinese food, pani puri, kufi, vada pav outlets and tea and betel shops continue to operate. Most of these do not have permission to operate even during the normal working hours.

These late-night outlets often attract drunkards, criminal and anti-social elements. There have been reports of quarrels, fights and even thefts and loots around such establishments.

Bajare has sought to curb such incidents.

“Though it is for the local self-government to take action against those functioning late in the night, I have asked my personnel to take action against those running their business after 11 pm,” said Bajare.

The order has already been in effect, with several stalls shutting down in time.

THE LATE-NIGHT OUTLETS OFTEN ATTRACT DRUNKARDS, CRIMINAL AND ANTISOCIAL ELEMENTS. THE ORDER AIMS TO CURB CRIME IN THE AREA