The Delhi government issued an order notifying that restaurants in Delhi to function doesn’t require a  license from the tourism department.

After a month, the notification comes around when chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced that the process was on to ensure that restaurants in the city can operate round the clock, and to do away with the requirement for obtaining tourism and health trade licences, apart from a police verification. He said his government was also tweaking some fire safety norms in heritage buildings of Connaught Place and Khan Market.These measures were part of the government’s “ease of doing business” policy, aimed at boosting the capital’s economy in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The tourism licence and excise rules directly come under the city government’s domain, the other measures would involve multiple agencies such as the Delhi Police and the three municipal corporations. Initially in 2003, the tourism licence was issued by the Union government and came under the state domain only. Since then, the government of Delhi had made it mandatory for all restaurants with seating capacity of 30 and above to seek this licence.

Regarding the health trade licences, the government has alreadyin talks  with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led municipal corporations (MCD).