Pune: Kalyani Nagar Residents Protest Over Increasing Pubs, Demand Strict Regulation 

Pune, July 18, 2025: Residents of Kalyani Nagar staged a public gathering on Friday to voice their growing concerns over the mushrooming of pubs, bars, and restaurants in their neighbourhood, which they say is disrupting their peace and compromising safety.

The protest, held outside Kumar Kruti Society, in Kalyani Nagar drew several residents who shared accounts of sleepless nights, road safety hazards, and an overall decline in quality of life. The community cited parking shortages, encroachment on open spaces, noise pollution, and alleged licensing violations as persistent issues that have remained unresolved despite repeated complaints to civic and excise authorities.

Encroachment and Licensing Woes
Many of these establishments are operating in residential buildings and violating multiple norms. The residents have been raising these issues for over three years, but no effective action has been taken.

Residents alleged that commercial properties have encroached on open spaces and parking areas, converting them into kitchens and seating zones. They also questioned how bars were being permitted to operate under showroom licenses, calling for a thorough review of such conversions.

Residents Say

“As residents of Kalyani Nagar, we are united in our call for action. First, we demand the immediate cancellation of licenses of habitual offenders — those who have consistently violated excise laws and exploited PMC permissions without accountability. Second, we urge the government to honour the promise made by Devendra Fadnavis during the Porsche incident — to relocate pubs, bars, and restaurants out of residential areas into designated commercial zones. That commitment remains unfulfilled. Lastly, we insist on a meeting with the Chief Minister at the earliest. We were denied this opportunity before both the MP and MLA elections, and we refuse to be overlooked again before the upcoming municipal elections.

— Monica S, Resident of Kalyani Nagar

For the last 3 years we residents have been highlighting the real issues being faced by us everyday due to these pubs and restaurants. Focusing on Traffic woes is over simplification of the real issues. Most of these pubs and bars are violating multiple laws like Change of Use violations, Encroachment laws violations, rampant Permit Room law violations, Encroaching on parking spaces shown on PMC plans and using them as bars, dining or kitchen areas, complete illegal pubs and bars with no license to run a restaurant and yet excise has given them Liquor (FL3 license). All we want is that PMC, Excise and Collector take action against all these violations that we have highlighted through Honourable MP Medhatai Kulkarni at various meetings and their licenses be cancelled and our right to peaceful living be upheld.

– Yasmin Charania, a Kalyani Nagar resident 

The bar and restaurant that is across our society has been a constant source of nuisance since it started. Hundreds of noise and nuisance complaints and also a court case have made no difference as they continue to blatantly violate all existing laws. This restaurant is being run in a Bungalow that has a showroom license and doesn’t even have a license to operate a restaurant, doesn’t have a valid fire certificate at last check and yet excise gave FL3 license and PMC refuses to take action against these blatant violations. We residents’ demands are very reasonable and we do not want pubs and bars in our area as it affects our families, children and senior citizens. We request CM Devendra Fadnavis to take cognisance of our woes and demand he restore our rights as citizens to peaceful living.

 Manjit Singh Dhupar, a Kalyani Nagar Resident 

Safety and Health at Stake

Parking issues and road safety were also highlighted, with residents complaining about valet parking taking over entire lanes, leaving no room for emergency vehicles. 

Concerns about public drinking, loud altercations, and suspected drug use were raised too, with residents saying the area is becoming unsafe for senior citizens, women, and children.

Call for Stricter Action
The protest comes in the wake of a tragic Porsche accident on May 19, 2024, in which a 17-year-old boy, allegedly under the influence of alcohol consumed at two hotels, killed two IT engineers at Kalyani Nagar junction. Following the incident, authorities promised stricter enforcement, but residents feel little has changed.

They demanded a freeze on new licenses for pubs and restaurants until a comprehensive audit of existing establishments is conducted. They also called for stricter noise and parking regulation enforcement and an end to commercial activities in residential zones.

In 2024, the Pune police commissioner had issued an order mandating all bars and permit rooms to shut by 1:30 am and to avoid employing security staff with criminal records. Residents urged authorities to ensure these rules are enforced without exception.