regulate commercial activities in a place. Though the marriage hall cannot be considered as an industry or factory, yet, it is a business activity. The owners levy rent and other charges before letting out the premises for the conduct of marriages. It is not a charitable activity. It is let out to the members of the public not only for conduct of marriages, but also for other activities like Hall Meetings, exhibitions etc., in off seasons. Whenever there is mass arrest under Section 151 Cr.P.C., the police would bring the arrestees to the nearest marriage hall before intimating to the jurisdictional Magistrate and later, the arrestees will be released. Since members of the public gather there, it is incumbent on the owners of such halls to provide certain minimum security measures like keeping fire extinguishers, providing toilets, and drinking water etc., All these requirements can be enforced by the Municipality only if the activities are brought within the fold of Schedule V and the owners of Marriage Halls are made to obtain licence from the Municipality. Bearing this in mind, if one reads the expression "keeping a public halting place", in Entry (j) of the Schedule V, there can be no cavil that this would include marriage halls. Marriage hall is a place where public halt. The expression "public halting place" is wide enough to bring within its net marriage halls. This requires no further expatiation.
