Siliguri to make trade licenses must for artistes of song, dance bars

Darjeeling: The Siliguri Municipal Corporation will be making it compulsory for artistes performing in song and dance bars in Siliguri to get trade licenses. Incidentally, song and dance bars have started mushrooming in the Siliguri Municpality area. At times there are fingers leveled at such bars for indulging in illegal activities.

"To keep a tab on the performers also along with the owners of such bars, we have decided that even artistes, both singers and dancers will have to have trade licenses. We have also got a directive to this effect from the Bengal government," stated Kamal Agarwal, Councillor in charge of the trade license department of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation. For getting a trade license, the performers have to submit their identification documents like PAN card, Aadhaar card, EPIC or Ration card along with details of the person they are working under and the trade license of the business establishment where they are performing. "We have dispatched letters to all the dance and song bars" stated Agarwal. He also stated that with this, checks can be kept on whether artistes who are minors are being used for performances, where these artistes are coming from (origin) and others.

"These details are very important in case there is any untoward incident or police cases when these information will come handy," added Agarwal.

Very soon, a meeting will be convened to be attended by the Corporation, police along with the dance and song bars.