Liquor flows again at 30 pubs and bars in Gurgaon!

The wait was finally over for 30 pubs and bars, including 15 in Sector 29, on April 24 as they started serving liquor after they received permission from the excise department for the same.

HC Dahiya, deputy excise and taxation commissioner (West), got the nod to renew licenses of the establishments that were found safe from the Supreme Court’s liquor ban. The outlets have been affected since April 1.

Dahiya said, "We received the email from our headquarters on Monday [April 24] evening to renew the liquor licenses as per the policy guidelines. The pub and bars had already applied for the same and we will renew the licenses now. Meanwhile, they can start serving liquor."

About 2,000 employees who had been asked to leave were also called back on Monday.

Lalit Ahlawat, director of Adda by Striker, Sector 29, told City Spidey, “As soon as we received the information, we immediately informed our staff members to rejoin from Tuesday.”

“We will come up with special packages for our guests and this week will be celebration week for the party hoppers,” said Sandeep Jaglan, director of Factory by Sutra, Sector 29.

Ashwini Choudhary, director, Soi 7 group, said, “These 24 days were tough for us but we were hopeful that our licenses will be renewed as the distance measured was more than 500 metres. We kept our fingers crossed till we received the confirmation because every day something new was happening.”

The committee members had already given the green signal for these outlets on April 21 and Hardeep Singh, deputy commissioner, Gurgaon, had emailed the report to the excise and taxation commissioner.

The decision was taken after discussion with the committee members and getting clarity from the district town planner, senior town planner of the Town and Country Planning department and the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (HSIIDC).

The 30 establishments include 15 pub and bars in Sector 29, 11 in Ambience Mall, Westin Hotel, Crowne Plaza, Barbet Tourist complex of Haryana Tourism, Treehouse Queens Pearl (Rajiv Chowk).

Though the distance of pubs and bars at Cyber Hub was also measured, the committee has not given clearance to 35 watering holes at the most frequented spot in Gurgaon. Officials said that a decision on the remaining outlets may be taken this week.

The Supreme Court banned the sale of liquor within 500 metres of national and state highways after high fatality rate in road accidents and the menace of drunk-driving was brought to the court’s notice.