Delhi scraps police clearance mandate for hotels, pools and gaming zones — Here's why it matters
In the notification released on June 30, the Delhi government said swimming pools, eating houses, hotels, discotheques, video game parlours, amusement parks and auditoriums will no longer require police permission to run their businesses.
According to the notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the move follows an order dated June 19, 2025 by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.
'The lieutenant governor, exercising powers under Section 28(2) read with Section 4 of the Delhi Police Act, 1978, has withdrawn the earlier sanction granted to the Commissioner of Police, for regulating these business activities under Section 28(1) of the same Act,' it said.
The order will affect regulations that had been in place for decades, including those established as early as 1980 for swimming pools and more recent ones from 2023 governing hotels, eating houses and other entertainment establishments.
Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora has issued a formal notification repealing the seven sets of regulations.
'Whereas vide the above said Order, the Commissioner of Police, Delhi has been directed to issue a notification repealing the said regulations with immediate effect,' the notification read.
The notification was implemented with immediate effect.
Hailing the move, India's former G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant called it a 'landmark reform'.
'A landmark reform. After 45 years, the Delhi Police will no longer issue licenses for restaurants, hotels, guesthouses, swimming pools, discotheques, amusement parks, video game parlours, and auditoriums,' he said.
The powers have been 'rightly withdrawn', Kant said in a post on X.
'These powers, first conferred in 1980, have now rightly been withdrawn. This is a vital step in ease of doing business and promoting trust in enterprise,' he noted.
Kant said, 'Less regulation means more growth, more jobs, and a more vibrant city economy.'
The former G20 Sherpa urged more such reforms to fully realise the vision of ease of living.
'India must now build on this momentum. We need many more such reforms in States to realise the full promise of PM @narendramodi vision of ease of living. Congrats @LtGovDelhi for driving this reform,' Kant wrote.
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