Pay rent or shut shop, liquor vendors warned

Gurugram After failing to get the dues from liquor contractors despite repeated warnings, the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) has decided to initiate action

Gurugram After failing to get the dues from liquor contractors despite repeated warnings, the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) has decided to initiate action if the pending rent is not paid within one week. Over 43 liquor vends and permit rooms (ahatas) owe the authority around ₹10 crore.

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Officials said that the contractors, operating liquor vends in different parts of the city, have taken HSVP land on rent to set up their kiosks.

Officials said that issue of pending rent and other dues by liquor vendors was also recently raised during a meeting of senior officials. A recent report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, which was tabled in the state assembly, also mentioned the failure of the HSVP in collecting rent from liquor vendors.

As per guidelines framed by the HSVP, for providing space for opening liquor vends, an advance payment of 12 months’ rent is required to be deposited along with refundable security, which has not happened.

HS Jakhar, subdivisional engineer, survey, HSVP, said that notices have already been issued to the liquor vends and now, he has sought permission to seal the establishments if payment is not made by December 13. “We have received around ₹3.25 crore of the ₹10 crores. If payment is not made timely, then sealing drive would be initiated,” he said.

It must be noted that collecting rent from the liquor contractors has remained an issue with the HSVP over the last few years. Last year, the chief administrator of HSVP had raised this issue, after which action was initiated and notices were served to five contractors.

In its final remarks, the CAG report suggests that the government and HSVP need to review all such cases and evolve a system for realisation and generation of revenue in an efficient manner.