Idea of round-the-clock restaurants miffs Gurugram residents
Gurugram, July 7
Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala’s announcement to allow restaurants to operate round the clock has received a mixed response in Gurugram and Faridabad. While restaurateurs are overjoyed, local RWAs and citizen councils have opposed the move citing law and order and traffic concerns. With no specific time frame or standard operating procedure released so far, the restaurant associations have asked the government for the same at the earliest, while RWAs have demanded withdrawal of the order.
24-hour nuisance
The nuisance which continued till 2 am will now go on for 24 hours! You can’t step out of your house or go for a late-night movie on MG Road as there are frequent drunken brawls. The authorities should be ready with a law and order plan before going ahead. Dr Rajeev Sinha, Member of MG road residents’ association
In spirit of ‘Millennium City’
It is a great move and will make Gurugram cosmopolitan in the true sense. It will not just meet the party culture of the ‘Millennium City’, but also transform the food industry. The move will also create more employment opportunities. Inderjeet Banga, Member of National Restaurant Association
Though there is no fixed official number, Gurugram and Faridabad have over 2,000 restaurants big and small, and licensed and unlicensed.
“It is a great move and will make Gurugram cosmopolitan in the true sense. This will not just meet the party culture of the ‘Millennium City’, but will also transform the food industry. It will generate more revenue for the state in addition to employment opportunities,” said Inderjeet Banga, member of the National Restaurant Association.
A section of restaurateurs feels that the permission will not be of much use to fine-dining or family dining category, but will benefit cafes, pubs, etc.
“Gurugram still does not have a breakfast or late-night snacking culture, as in the West, and online deliveries are a big factor. Keeping 24-hour operations will mean more investment in terms of salary and logistics. Small cafes or pubs will likely benefit,” said Madan Mohan, owner of a restaurant in Sector 29.
Residents, however, are wary, especially in case of sectors like 56, 14, 15, 17, 31 and MG Road, where many restaurants are in vicinity or internal markets. “This will make our life hell. The market is filled with over 20 big and small eating joints, with a majority near residential houses. We deal with noise, exhaust fumes and illegal parking the whole day. Now, they want to extend the nuisance to night,” says Supriya Pathak, a resident of Sector 31.
“32nd Milestone is located in our sector. Every evening, we have to wait for 30 minutes to enter the sector from the highway as the entire road is blocked with cars trying to get in or illegally parked. The cars zoom around at high speed. This nuisance can’t be allowed round the clock,” says Dharmveer Yadav of Sector 15 (Part 2).
The worst affected are residents of MG Road who have already been fighting against local pubs. “The nuisance which continued till 2 am will go on for 24 hours! You cannot step out of your house or go for a late-night movie on MG Road as there are frequent drunken brawls. This will unleash chaos. The Gurugram authorities should be ready with a law and order plan before going ahead with this move,” says Dr Rajeev Sinha, member of the MG Road Residents’ Association.
