Ayurvedic therapy centres have their licences withdrawn by MCC

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 26, 2017: Mangaluru City Corporation has withdrawn the licence of 17 Ayurvedic therapy centres in the city as they have been found using their licence for “other purposes”, according to Mayor Kavita Sanil.

In a media interaction,  after the monthly phone-in programme here on July 25, Tuesday, she said that those centres were found to be used as massage parlours.

She said that there was a mafia of skill game operators in the city. They operated skill game centres illegally and there were many such centres.

The Mayor said that she along with corporation officials raided a skill game centre near Falnir Road and sealed it on July 11 as it did not have licence from the corporation.

But its operators broke open the seal and are now operating the centre stating that the court has granted permission.

A case has been registered with police against four persons for breaking open the seal. On the other hand, its operators have filed a counter complaint against the Mayor, Health Officer of the corporation and Mangaluru East Police Inspector for raiding the centre on July 11.

“This (filing the counter complaint) itself shows the audacity and how powerful is the mafia protected by some vested interests. They have gone to the extent of filing a case against a Mayor and a Police Officer,” she said.

The Mayor said that she would not be cowed down by such actions. She added that the corporation could take action against such centres only for not obtaining trade licence. The police should take interest in curbing such activities.

Mayor Sanil said that her fight against such centres would continue.

The Mayor said that the government permitted licensed clubs only to have carom, chess, rummy and poker games. Members of these clubs could play such games there. But skill game centres allowed “other games” on their premises and collected money from customers and did business. It was a trade. Even if they obtained licence from the corporation, they could allow only those games.

During the phone-in programme, two callers appreciated the Mayor for her bold step against such skill game centres.