No extra-hour permits: police tells excise dept

The city is turning out to be a favourite haunt for party revellers from across NCR towns thanks to the pubs and discotheques which keep the booze flowing even post midnight in violation of norms. Sanjeev K Ahuja reports.

The city is turning out to be a favourite haunt for party revellers from across NCR towns thanks to the pubs and discotheques which keep the booze flowing even post midnight in violation of norms.

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In a bid to check the inflow of tipplers into Gurgaon during late night hours, the city police have written to the Haryana Excise Department asking officials not to issue special permits allowing pubs to serve liquor for two extra hours till 2am, which is a big crowd puller.

The excise department has issued 160 bar licences to various hotels, restaurants, bars and pubs. Ten 4-5 star category hotels have permits to serve liquor round-the-clock while only 14 standalone pubs and bars can open up till 2am.

All other joints are supposed to stop serving liquor by 11.45pm and down their shutters by midnight.

However, majority of these restro-bars, especially those with dancing floors, continue to remain open illegally even up to 4am.

Reason: Week enforcement of night timings by the excise department that harps on shortage of staff and other paraphernalia. Gurgaon police commissioner SS Deswal said that bars in Delhi strictly follow guidelines regarding closing time due to strict implementation of excise laws.

“This lures partygoers to drift towards Gurgaon... where there is no strict enforcement of statutory closing hours. Here many bars serve liquor even beyond 2am and this creates law and order issues for people in general,” Deswal added.