SC verdict: Gurgaon tops list of affected bars in Haryana

DISTRICT HAS A TOTAL OF 292 BARS, OF WHICH 106 BARS FALL ON STATE AND NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

CHANDIGARH: Gurgaon’s Cyber Hub is among around 200 bars that will have to be shut down in Haryana following the Supreme Court verdict banning sale of liquor on national and state highways.

The district has a total of 292 bars, of which 106 bars fall on state and national highways and therefore won’t be allowed to sell liquor. It’s followed by Faridabad which has 14 such bars out of a total of 44 bars.

Ambala comes next with eight bars followed by Panipat where six bars will be affected.

Five bars each in the districts of Rohtak, Sirsa, Bhiwani, Hisar and Karnal will be hit by the order. Mewat and Narnaul are two districts which won’t be affected by the order with no bar falling on the highway.

The list compiled by the state’s excise and taxation department (Hindustan Times is in possession of the list) says that the state has 478 bars, of which 194 will be affected by the court order.

The order has come as a shocker for owners of hotels and restaurants in the state because the Khattar government had earlier exempted the clubs, bars and restaurants from the ban imposed by the SC. The state had relied on the advice given by the attorney general of India Mukul Rohatgi in this regard. The state had sent the AG’s advice to its advocate general Baldev Raj Mahajan who concurred with the former’s view. He said since Rohatgi had been appearing in the case in the SC, the state could go by his advice. However, the National Restaurant Association filed a plea in the SC seeking clarification on the issue. The SC clarified on Friday that its order is valid on all outlets selling liquor and it exempts no one.