Pubs, bars, restaurants that serve alcohol to stay shut till March 31

The Haryana government on Monday ordered the closure of all pubs and bars across the state till March 31 as the state bordering the national Capital further took

The Haryana government on Monday ordered the closure of all pubs and bars across the state till March 31 as the state bordering the national Capital further took a slew of steps to fight the spread of the Coronavirus infection (Covid-19) outbreak. The outlets serving liquor or playing music with dance floors, or both, across the city are the ones impacted by the decision.

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Only those restaurants that serve non-alcoholic beverages and food have been allowed to operate, police said Monday. This was in addition to Sunday’s ban on all night clubs, schools, gyms, swimming pools, cinema halls and ban on gatherings of over 200 people.

Popular for night life, breweries, pub and bars at Sector 29, CyberHub, Sohna Road and the Golf Course Road pulled down shutters on Monday evening after the state government issued directions to the police department to ensure that such places do not operate till March 31. These four places alone house 350 eateries.

Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar directed the commissioner of police to ensure that such places are shut completely by Tuesday evening and teams from each police station were formed to ensure complete shutdown.

HOTEL RESTAURANTS NOT OPEN TO ALL

Even the hotels have been directed to not allow outside guests in their restaurants and that only in-house guests should be allowed in their restaurants, police said.

Police commissioner Muhammad Akil said they have formed teams from each police station that have been assigned the task to close pub and bars and ensure no guests are allowed to enter. “The direction is for clubs and night clubs where people come in close contact with each other. This is a precautionary measures and regular monitoring will be conducted. All necessary measures will be taken to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus,” he said.

PENAL ACTION

Police said anyone found violating the directions will be booked for criminal proceedings under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of Indian Penal Code and culpable epidemic diseases. The violator shall be punished with imprisonment of up to six months, or with fine which may extend to ₹1,000, or with both.

The outlets in Sector 29, Cyber Hub, Sohna Road and Golf Course Road are usually thronged by thousands of visitors every day during lunch and dinner time, but on Monday, these areas remained deserted.

OWNERS SEEK POLICY RELIEF

The restaurant and bar owners said their outlets saw a decline of about 80% in footfall. They assured that though they would extend complete cooperation in fighting the epidemic, they also need to address the issue of maintaining their large workforce, which is the backbone of the city’s hospitality sector.

Rahul Singh, president of National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), said that health and safety come first. “Our liquidity will only allow for wage payments towards the employment pool we support. Out staff needs a roof over their heads and be able to cater to their daily needs. During a national health emergency, policymakers have to ensure that people are not pushed into homelessness through evictions, particularly when our collective protection against the spread of the illness depends on our ability to self-isolate at home,” he said.

They said restaurants work on daily cash flow and pay for materials, wages and rent from this cache; without any revenue, this pipeline will shut. Industry players said that while the force majeure is applicable to leased properties, there is an urgent need for a quid pro quo in the form of tax rebate, loan waiver, licence fee deferment which is not addressed before giving directions for the closures.

“The business has gone down in the past one week and people are avoiding visiting restaurants, pubs and bars. Many people have cancelled hotel bookings due to the coronavirus threat,” said Rohit Mann, director of Raise the Bar brewery at Clarens Hotel in Sector 29. He added that sales have gone down by 85% and they expect this to continue for the next few weeks.