Gurgaon: Bars, pubs in CyberHub may not get past Supreme Court’s ban on alcohol

The chances of CyberHub escaping an alcohol ban looked bleaker on Monday when the Haryana government made clear its understanding of a Supreme Court order which, it said, applied not only to liquor vends but also to pubs and bars.

The chances of CyberHub escaping an alcohol ban looked bleaker on Monday when the Haryana government made clear its understanding of a Supreme Court order which, it said, applied not only to liquor vends but also to pubs and bars.

About 34 pubs and bars in Gurgaon’s DLF CyberHub face an uncertain future after the SC mandated that sale of liquor will not be allowed within 500 metres of national and state highways. (Parveen Kumar/HT File Photo)

DLF CyberHub, in the middle of Gurgaon’s prime office complexes, has become popular among people eating out. It houses several bars, pubs and micro-breweries.

“We have received clarification that all pubs and bars within 500-metre distance from highways are covered under the SC order. We will comply with the orders,” said a senior excise official, who did not wish to be named.

Affected businesses have now decided to move the Supreme Court for a clarification, believing the order was aimed at liquor vends close to highways in a ruling to combat drink-driving.

The local administration also measured CyberHub’s distance to the National Highway-8 as driven — instead of a straight-line measurement — and found the complex would indeed fall under the booze ban radius.

In addition to CyberHub, restaurant’s in Gurgaon’s Sector 29 market and several luxury hotels also face losing their liquor licence from April 1. A total of 43 liquor vends will need to shut and 143 pubs to stop serving alcohol.

Haryana’s finance minister Captain Abhimanyu , who is also in charge of the excise department, said, “We will follow the Supreme Court’s judgment in letter and spirit”.

Read | SC liquor ban that may hit CyberHub evokes strong reactions in Gurgaon

Members of pub/bar associations have decided to move the apex court to seek relief.

“We are sure we will get relief as the order needs to be clarified and relief given to those who are not compromising the security of road users. The order was basically meant for only liquor vends... as nowhere in the order it was written that pubs/bars cannot serve liquor. This would be a huge revenue loss and government should also plead on behalf of the business”, said Pradeep Bhardwaj, GM Galaxy hotels.