In a city famed for its use of jugaad, Gurugram’s Cyber Hub might have found a way around the Supreme Court’s liquor ban near the highways. The popular food and drink venue has successfully shifted its entrance 1.8 kilometres away from NH-8, placing it well clear of the 500-metre distance from the highway as mandated by the country’s apex court.
According to The Times of India, the entrance of Cyber Hub is now a 1.8 km-drive from the Shankar Chowk exit on NH-8. Meanwhile, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner HC Dahiya said:
We have taken into account motorable distance as per instructions passed on to us. But we have also considered visible distance and alternate routes to the outlets to ensure there is no contempt of the Supreme Court order.
Originally located a few metres from NH-8, Cyber Hub moved its entry gates deeper into Cyber City last week. The path towards the entrance was changed, making it accessible only after taking a U-turn underpass near the ‘9B building’ of DLF Cyber City.
Officials, The Times of India noted, didn't reveal the distance thrown up by their 'roadometer' – a unicycle with a measuring device.
Bar-Highway Distance Measurements Begin in Gurugram
Bar owners are still waiting with baited breath, as the official word on the fate of Cyber Hub is expected to be out on Thursday after Deputy Commissioner Hardeep Singh analyses the results, and gives his recommendations to the Haryana government.
The city’s administration has started the process of measuring the motorable distance of 500 metres for pubs, bars and hotels from the national and state highways in Gurugram.
On Monday, the team measured the distance for the 10 five star hotels and bars near NH-8, a senior excise official said. It has measured establishments, including The Leela hotel situated in Ambience Mall, The Oberoi and Trident in Udyog Vihar, Westin at IFFCO Chowk, Crowne Plaza at Signature Tower Chowk, pubs and bars at Cyber Hub and at Sector 29.
(With Inputs from PTI.)
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