Excise dept cracks down on erring ahatas in Ggm

Several taverns, popularly called ahatas, in Gurugram downed shutters over the weekend and are yet to reopen, while two prominent ahatas operating in the popular Sector 29 hub were sealed on Monday by the excise department for operating open-seating areas in violation of their approved maps, officials said on Tuesday.

- Leena Dhankhar

GURUGRAM:

The action comes against a backdrop of HT reporting widespread violations in the operation of ahatas across the city in a report titled "Ggm taverns thrive in disregard for legal and safety regulations" published in these columns on March 16.

The two facilities shut on Monday were Machan, which is located near Leisure Valley Park, and Reset, located in Sector 43.

Excise officials said the crackdown will continue and more such ahatas will be sealed in the coming days. "We have taken action against those violating norms, and further investigations are underway. Any establishment found flouting regulations will face strict penalties," Amit Bhatia, deputy excise and taxation commissioner (DETC), said.