SC liquor ban: Gurgaon CyberHub pubs get clean chit, will serve alcohol

SC liquor ban: 33 bars and restaurants in Gurgaon’s CyberHub issued liquor licences enabling them to resume service immediately

The city’s most popular watering hole can propose a toast again as the Haryana excise department cleared on Thursday the plea of 33 bars and restaurants in CyberHub to resume serving alcohol.

The decision comes after a committee formed to measure the distance of pubs and bars from highways gave a clean chit to 33 pubs and restaurants at Gurgaon’s CyberHub on Thursday afternoon. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

These businesses in the 200,000-square-foot Gurgaon mall were hit after the Supreme Court banned the sale of liquor within 500 metres of state and national highways in the country from April 1.

CyberHub is close to national highway 8 and its pubs and bars went dry after the top court put the distance cap to discourage drink driving, a major cause of fatal road accidents.

A committee formed to measure the distance of bars and bottle shops from highways cleared the establishments operating from CyberHub on Thursday.

“The final report was emailed to the excise commissioner, Panchkula. These bars are in the clear zone and can start operation after renewing their liquor licences,” Gurgaon deputy commissioner Hardeep Singh said.

The city’s deputy excise and taxation commissioner (west) HC Dahiya said as much.

“The 33 pubs and bars at CyberHub can serve liquor. We will renew their licences.”

The excise authorities had banned 35 liquor outlets in CyberHub, of which two surrendered their liquor licences in April. The court ban had affected 115 pubs and bars in a city dotted with offices and factories of multinational and top Indian firms.

The clearance covers 69 establishments banned from selling alcohol in the city, including those in CyberHub. Bars in Sector 29 and Ambience Mall have already been cleared.