No alcohol,meat served at halls named after saints: MCD

The matter came to light after Mehmud Ziah,the councillor of Baazar Sita Ram near Daryaganj,raised the issue at a meeting last week. He complained that non-vegetarian delicacies and alcohol are served at Mahavir Vatika in Daryaganj,which goes against the teachings of the Jain leader after whom the park is named.

Ziah demanded that the authorities either rename the park or ensure that alcohol and non-vegetarian delicacies are not served.

“The Standing Committee has taken cognizance of the complaint and the guidelines will be changed soon. Whenever someone comes to book the hall,they will have to give in writing that no alcohol and meat will be served,” said Yogender Chandolia,Chairman of the MCD Standing Committee.

As per the present arrangement,along with the booking amount of Rs 10,000,a security deposit of an equal amount is also taken by the MCD for Mahavir Vatika. If somebody does not adhere to the rules and regulations,he is liable to forfeit the security amount.

However,as many don’t consider Rs 10,000 a very huge amount,they choose to flout the rules instead.

“We cannot stop people from drinking and coming to parties,but we can make sure that nothing of the sort is done at the party venues,” Chandolia added.

To curb such activities,the Standing Committee has also asked the MCD commissioner to write a letter to the Delhi Police,asking them to help maintain the sanctity of premises by making sure that nobody drinks alcohol in the premises.