New excise policy curbs multi-floor Ahatas
GURUGRAM: The city’s popular drinking places located next to liquor shops – Ahatas-- cannot operate from multiple floors any more under the state government’s new excise policy that will come into force from June 12, excise department officials said on Friday.
The policy, which was passed by the Haryana Cabinet on May 15, states that an ahata can run only on one level. A senior excise official, requesting anonymity, said that the decision comes in response to numerous complaints from restaurants, pubs, and bar owners. “These business owners argued that ahatas were flouting excise rules, creating an uneven playing field and affecting their livelihood,” he said.
Jitender Dudi, deputy excise and taxation commissioner (DETC), west, said that the policy has been designed keeping all stakeholders in mind. “They can run it only on 1 floor and not
multiple floors. If they are running a vend on the ground floor then they can run a tavern on the first floor. They will now be restricted from operating across multiple floors, a move that is designed to bring order and fairness to the city’s drinking joints,” he said.
Dudi said the auction will start from May 27 and depending on who gets which liquor vend, they will make their own ahatas. “The existing ones will either be demolished or vacated and will be modified before June 12,” he said.
For years, these ahatas operated across several floors, providing ample space for patrons to drink in a more private setting, with similar facilities that restaurants, bars or pubs offered. However, what started as a means to prevent open drinking quickly turned into an opportunity for some to exploit the system.
At least 10 ahatas have been shut since January this year in a joint raid by the chief minister’s flying squad and the excise department. The establishments were running illegally beyond permissible timings, and were also serving flavoured hookah, police said.
“The ahatas have to pay 3% of the bidding amount of the liquor vend they are attached with and timing are till the attached vend is open but they are not allowed to sell or serve liquor. If they wish to run operations for up to four additional hours after midnight, they will have to pay 25% of liquor vend annual fees and 50% upto 8 hours,” said Dudi.
Restaurant owners said their business had been hit due to these ahatas which were operating without paying taxes and hefty liquor licence fees. “The footfall in these places is higher as compared to the restaurants just because the liquor is cheaper and they allow to bring their own bottles. The food cost is actually higher,” said Rohit Singh, one of the owners of a restaurant.
Owners of ahatas in the city said there has been a rise in footfall over the last 10 years after they started introducing live music, performances and an expansive food menu.
Rahul Singh, trustee, National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and founder of Beer Cafe said these ahatas in reality are not following the rule book. “They have to adhere to all the statutory provisions of fire safety, FSSAI, pollution norms and taxation. Operating out of a single floor is the new mandate in the upcoming policy,” Singh added.
“Our request is for adherence to the provisions. Opening till 4am, having multiple floors, live entertainment, entry charges and promoting explicitly on social media channels needs to be kept in check,” he said.