Sohna Road was declared a national highway last year.
The maximum impact of the Supreme Court liquor ban will be on the 17 bars and hotels on Sohna Road, as they have not been able to circumvent the order.
The road from Rajiv Chowk to Sohna, popularly known as Sohna Road, is now National Highway 248, and extends to Alwar in Rajasthan.
Over the past few days, pubs and bars in Cyber Hub and Udyog Vihar have managed to bypass the order by changing the location of their entrances. However, owing to their direct access to the highway, the pubs and bars on Sohna Road are at a major disadvantage. None of the bar owners have even applied for measurement of the motorable distance from the highway, as they fear doing so might lead to a permanent ban on their operations.
Most bars owners are hoping the government will declassify the highway, so the Supreme Court order does not impact them. However, the Haryana government cannot declassify the road, as it is a national highway.
“The measurement process has been completed for the NH 248 establishments, where liquor service was put on hold since April 1. We are now working with the excise authorities to address the popular Gurgaon-Sohna Road, which was recently declared NH 248A and is one of the fastest growing corridors for IT, commercial and residential development," said Rahul Singh, head of the Haryana chapter of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI). "Many MNCs have set up base on this stretch, and it also has one of the highest condominium concentrations in Gurgaon.”
“The hospitality establishments cater to lodging, conferencing, banqueting and eating out, where liquor service was integral to the overall experience. Officegoers and residents have been deprived of this experience, which they didn't bargain for when moving into this part of Millennium City,” added Singh.
“We have not received any affidavits from any of the outlets on Sohna Road,” said Aruna Singh, deputy excise and taxation commissioner (East).
“We are still in a dilemma and have no idea what to do," said a Sohna Road pub owner. "We are just waiting to hear from the government. it. Our livelihood is at stake. We just want the smiles back on the faces of our guests and our staff.”
