Around 200 bars in Haryana will be affected by the Supreme Court order banning sale of liquor within 500 meters of highways.
"The Supreme Court order will affect 194 out of 478 bars in Haryana, most of which are located in Gurugram with 500 meters of highways," said a state Excise and Taxation Department official.
He said, "Of the total 292 such bars in Gurugram, this order will affect 106.”
As many as 500 liquor shops have been dislocated in Haryana following the Apex Court order, with the excise official claiming, "There is no implication on revenue because of dislocation of liquor vends."
The Supreme Court has directed that no liquor shop shall be visible and directly accessible from the highways nor it should be situated within 500 metres of the outer edge of the national or state highway or of the service lane.
About the impact of the Apex Court order on revenue of the state, the official said, around Rs 100 crore in revenue may have to be foregone due to shutting down of bars and pubs.
Although the restaurants or bars may relocate their businesses to other areas, it is the big hotels which would face maximum brunt, he said.
The State Government had in its excise policy 2017-18 announced that there can be a maximum of 3500 retail outlets of Country Made liquor and Indian Made Foreign liquor (IMFl) in the state.
According to the excise policy, the allotment of liquor vends this year would be made on the basis of zones in a shift from allotment on the basis of group of vends in the previous year. The zones comprise of six retail vends wherein the allottee will have a freedom and flexibility to locate his vend within his zone subject to the legal provisions and directions of the Supreme Court in this regard wherein Apex Court directed that no liquor shop shall be located within a distance of 500 meters from national and state highways.
The government is expecting revenue generation of more than Rs 5500 crore for the next fiscal year, he added.
Meanwhile, in Punjab and Haryana’s capital, Chandigarh, about 90 bars and pubs will be affected because of the SC order.
According to the Chandigarh Hotel and Restaurant Association, because of closure of bars in the city, a large number of people would become jobless.
The excise and taxation department of the union territory has started a drive to seal the liquor stock at hotels, bars and restaurants which are within the 500 meters of state and national highways.
The UT Excise Department is likely to incur an estimated loss of Rs 10-13 crore in licence fee.
With Chandigarh's prominent roads, like the Madhya Marg, Dakshin Marg, Himalaya Marg being defined as state highways, several eating and other happening joints, including pubs and micro-breweries, have been forced to stop serving liquor from Saturday (April 1) following the SC ban.
The outlets in Sectors 26, 7, 8, 9, 35, 43 and some parts of the Industrial Area have been the worst hit in the city.
While Sector 35 (Himalaya Marg) had been a popular place for restaurants, clubs, party-zones and other eateries for over three decades, Sector 26 (Madhya Marg) had emerged as one of the popular destinations for high-end restaurants, night clubs, pubs and other eating joints.