KATHMANDU, April 9: Under a new initiative to contain illegal activities at dance restaurants, cabin restaurants and massage parlors and to ensure a conducive work environment for female workers, the Home Ministry has started issuing permits to such establishments.
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From now on, the District Administration Offices (DAOs) will directly supervise such businesses, with the help of their security wings. [break]
The move has come amidst complaints from various quarters that female workers are being forced into sexual exploitation.
There are 1,200 dance restaurants, massage parlors and cabin restaurants operating in Kathmandu Valley .
These establishments are set to get a time extension for their operation.
Unlike in the past when such businesses needed to be registered at the Cottage and Small Scale Industries Department, they now need to register with the DAO. This, officials say, will make it easier for police to take action against establishments where illegal activities are allowed.
The latest move by the government comes after the Supreme Court on December 28, 2008 issued directives to the Home Ministry to register such establishments under the DAO and enforce a separate code of conduct to ensure there is no sexual exploitation or other illicit activities. The apex court issued the directive in response to a writ petition filed by Pro-Public, an NGO based in Kathmandu .
The directive was issued as per recommendations made by a study team led by Mahendra Prasad Sharma, joint secretary at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare in September, 2008. The 14-member team comprising representatives from various ministries and other stakeholders studied the hardships faced by female workers at dance restaurants and massage parlors and possible measures to address their woes.
Officials at DAO Kathmandu said that three restaurants have already registered with them and all restaurants and massage parlors would register before the deadline expires in 10 days.
According to Nepal Restaurant Entrepreneurs Association (NREA), there are about 1,200 cabin restaurants, 150 massage parlors, 150 dance restaurants and some 100 lokdohori restaurants operating in the three districts of the Valley. Some 50,000 people are directly employed in the restaurants and massage parlors, according to a rough estimate by NREA.
Krishna Prasad Acharya, administrative officer at DAO Kathmandu, said the code of conduct, which is yet to be finalized, clearly stipulates the requirements that dance restaurants or massage parlors have to meet. Among other things, the code of conduct includes provisions to check sexual exploitation and harassment of female workers.
The new code of conduct also comes as big relief to the restaurants, which were hard hit by a new provision introduced by Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam requiring them shut by 11 pm. The code of conduct proposes to let cabin restaurants operate until 10 pm and dance restaurants and lokdohori restaurant until midnight.
Acharya said that the apex court directive also asks the government to develop a monitoring body to ensure that restaurants fully abide by the code. The monitoring body includes the chief district officer, the chief of the district police office, the women’s development officer and a representative of the restaurant operators, among others. “The registration of those failing to meet the requirements and observe the code of conduct will be nullified,” he said
Earlier, there was neither a code of conduct nor a mechanism in place to monitor the activities of cabin restaurants and massage parlors.
NREA has lauded the government move to register them under the DAO and form a separate monitoring unit.
Manoj KC, president of NREA, suggested the government form a permanent monitoring body with adequate powers to enforce the code of conduct. “New laws should also be formulated to check flesh trade and other malpractices at restaurants and massage parlors as police are still forced deal with these offenses under the Public Offense Act,” he added.
koshraj@myrepublica.com
