Over 250 bars, liquor vends go dry in city, NCR

New Delhi: Over 100 liquor vendors, restaurant and hotel bars located within 500 metres of highways, have been shut down in the last two days following the SC directive to this effect. After the apex court ordered closure of bars, pubs, hotels and restaurants within 500m of national and state highways serving liquor from April 1, the city government launched a drive to implement the order.

In neighbouring Noida, the number of vends no longer serving drinks was 42 while out of total 292 bars in Gurugram, the Supreme Court order would impact 106, officials said.

The excise department said that it launched the drive the Friday midnight, which will continue on Monday. “We shut down 50 bars in hotels and restaurants by Saturday. 50 liquor vends have also been closed during the drive,” a senior government official said. These outlets were falling within 500 metres of six national highways linking Delhi with other states. The excise department formed several teams to ensure the closure of all establishments within 500 metres of highways following the court order. These teams roam in the night to check for any violation.

Several outlets in the city have petitioned the excise department claiming they do not fall within 500m of highways. Sources in the department said they are “flooded” with such compl-aints from affected licence holders. “We will again as-sess the distance of affected outlets to ascertain if they fall within 500 metres of the six highways linking Delhi with other states,” a source said.

Meanwhile restaurant and bar owners in Gurgaon have decided to meet Union tourism minister Mahesh Sharma and Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar seeking resolution to their problems.

Calling it a “black day” for the hospitality industry, Kapil Chopra, president of the Oberoi Group, said, “We completely respe-ct of the Supreme Court ju-dgment, but with this judgment thousands of bars and restaurants have been affected in India.”