Liquor ban: Gurgaon team starts measuring distance of pubs, bars from highways

The team comprising officials from excise, NHAI, PWD and police, started measuring the distance of liquor outlets from highways.

The fate of pubs, bars, and liquor shops facing threat of closure due to Supreme Court’s order, will be sealed today as the district administration started measuring the distance of these establishments from highways. In a landmark ruling, the apex court had baned serving of liquor within 500 meters of highways.

The teams have measured the distance of three establishments so far, including Udyog Vihar and The Leela hotel.

A team — including officials from district administration, excise department, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Public Works Department (PWD), and the police — started measuring the distance of the establishments at 7.30am on Tuesday after owners submitted affidavits for measurements.

Establishment owners are hopeful that they will get relief after Tuesday’s exercise. The excise department had earlier prepared a list of 146 establishments — later revised to 115 establishments — that were suspected to fall within 500 meters of highways.

“We will hear the contention from the pub/bar owners and the committee members will take the decision after we have completed the measurement,” a senior excise official said.

The excise and taxation department had received 39 requests from the pub/bars till Monday, for measurement to clear doubts. The teams have measured the distance of three establishments so far, including Udyog Vihar and The Leela hotel.

The district administration had asked the pub/bar owners to submit their affidavits by Monday so that doubts could be cleared and proper measurements could be taken.

Gurgaon deputy commissioner Hardeep Singh had formed a committee to enforce the Supreme Court ruling and measure the motorable distance of the affected establishments. The committee members had visited CyberHub, Sector 29 and Sohna Road on April 1 and stopped the sale of liquor in pubs and bars falling within 500 meters of state or national highways.

The team measuring the distance includes DC Gurgaon Hardeep Singh, deputy excise and taxation commissioner (West) HC Dahiya, ACP Sumeer Singh, a PWD executive engineer and three NHAI officials.