By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 18 Jul: With the FIFA World Cup 2026 final expected to draw football enthusiasts to live screenings across the country, hotel, café and restaurant operators in Dehradun have approached the Uttarakhand government seeking one-time special permission to remain open till 3 a.m.
The Dehradun chapter of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) has written a letter to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami requesting special permission for the restaurants and eateries across the state to remain operational till 3 am on the night of July 20, following the final match scheduled to begin at 12.30 a.m.
In its letter, the NRAI said the FIFA World Cup final is among the most widely watched sporting events in the world and that the upcoming match is expected to be particularly significant for the football enthusiasts. A large number of young people, local residents and tourists in Dehradun and other parts of Uttarakhand are keen to watch the match together, prompting the hotels and the restaurants to make special arrangements for live screenings and provide viewers with a better experience.
The organisation said that the grant of one-time special permission would provide an economic boost to the local hospitality industry and also promote tourism in Uttarakhand. It would further strengthen Dehradun’s image as a vibrant, modern and tourist-friendly city, the association said.
The NRAI has assured the State government that all the establishments would strictly comply with the rules and regulations of the Excise Department if permission was granted. The sale and serving of liquor would be carried out only within the regular timings permitted under the respective licences and no establishment would serve liquor beyond the prescribed time, it said.
The association has also offered to provide the Excise Department and the local administration with uninterrupted access for live monitoring of CCTV cameras installed at participating restaurants, bars and nightclubs. It has further assured the authorities that additional security personnel and staff would be deployed for crowd management and to maintain law and order, ensuring that the general public does not face any inconvenience.
The demand from the Dehradun hospitality industry follows a similar decision by the Delhi government in connection with the FIFA World Cup 2026 final. The Delhi government has announced permission for restaurants, cafés and other commercial establishments in the national capital to remain open till 4 a.m. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has described the decision as an important step towards facilitating football fans and promoting tourism-related activities.
Following the decision in Delhi, hotel and restaurant operators in Dehradun have urged the Uttarakhand Government to extend similar one-time relaxation to establishments in the State. The proposal has now placed the spotlight on the State Government, with the hospitality industry awaiting its decision on whether special permission will be granted for the extended operating hours.
