Beer crisis: Gurugram’s loss is Delhi’s gain as stocks deplete

Pub and eatery owners said that they did not receive any stock of beer for the last five days

Lack of beer seemed to have taken the fizz out of parties in Gurugram on Saturday. Most pubs and bars at DLF Cyber Hub and Sector 29 remained open, but did not have adequate stock of beer (Indian and imported) to serve their visitors.

Most bars and pubs reported a dip of close to 30% in business due to the beer crisis. Except for the city’s breweries, all other watering holes were bereft of beer. (Parveen Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Most bars and pubs reported a dip of close to 30% in business due to the beer crisis. Except for the city’s breweries, all other watering holes were bereft of beer.

Liquor vends in the city have a limited stock, but are unwilling to share their supply with restaurants and bars. They have also said they have not received beer supply for the last one week.

Restaurant and pub owners have alleged that they have not received beer stock for the last five days and said they have been suffering from the loss of both, revenue and customers.

Though the excise department said the situation was likely to normalise by Tuesday, restaurant and bar owners fear the temporary vacuum would send many customers to outlets in neighbouring New Delhi and create a black market.

Read I Gurgaon witnesses 114% increase in sale of imported liquor

“We don’t have a single brand of beer in our outlet. This lack of liquor is pulling down our sales by 30% on a daily basis,” said Satyajit Dhingra, president - north, Social.

Raasta, in Cyber Hub, ran out of beer on Friday. “There is not a single bottle of any brand of beer in the outlet and we have no idea when the situation will return to normal. The majority of our guests prefer beer on weekends but for the last two days, we have not been able to serve any beer and it is causing heavy losses,” said Joy Singh, director, Raasta, Cyber Hub.

The excise department has said that there was no deliberate delay from them and they would try to resolve the issue by Monday.

“Mapping is in progress and will be completed in one or two days as some of the bar licenses do not include complete documents. Popular beer labels have been approved by the excise taxation commissioner, so these will be available shortly. Some restaurants and bars have not been issued licences because they have not submitted proper sureties and securities,” said HC Dahiya, deputy excise and taxation commissioner (DETC) West.

“There is a shortage of beer, but the supply will improve by Tuesday, because that’s when the suppliers will receive more stock. Regarding imported beer, the imported liquor wholesaler has to deposit the fees and get the labels issued. It had sent around 1,600 labels to us on April 10. We had examined the file and the labels, and are sending them to our headquarters”, said Sneh Lata Yadav, DETC East.