From April 1, liquor rates in the city will go up by 20-25 per cent. The Haryana government is raising taxes for pubs and bars operating during extended hours, and 34 of Cyber Hub's haunts is set to shut shop.
Gurgaon's dazzling nightlife might come to a standstill with the Haryana government’s decision to dig up hefty fees from restaurants and bars that operate during extended hours with effect from tomorrow. Since there are no such charges to operate till 1 am in Delhi, the fraternity of bars and restaurant fear a massive business loss.
With the onset of the financial year 2017-18, there will be an almost 20 per cent to 25 per cent hike in liquor price. Party lovers will likely prefer Delhi to party, as liquor is cheaper there as compared to Haryana.
Today, Gurgaon's bars and pubs are jam-packed with party animals, with several of them celebrating their birthdays and anniversaries in advance.
"I love partying on weekends," said Vidhi Gupta, System Analyst, HCL. "My friends and I make it a point to let loose on Friday nights after a week's hard work. It helps us rejuvenate. But with price hikes like this in Gurgaon, we will have to find some other place to party. I will definitely miss partying in the city.”
Gurgaon's roads are jam-packed with traffic, with popular haunts such as Cyber Hub and Sector 29, which house 70 per cent of the city's pubs and bars, chock-a-block with people.
“Pitstop has stopped taking reservations for tonight; we will be entertaining guests on first-come-first-served basis," said Gautam Shah, operations manager, Pitstop BrewPub, Sector 29. "We are not sure whether the crowd is a result of the financial year end or because of the hike in taxes. Whatever be the reason, we are well prepared.”
It'll be interesting to see how the tax hikes, shutting shop of several pubs following the SC order and the increase in liquor rates will affect the residents of this party-loving city. Will the party animals be dissuaded? We think not.
