Gurugram, Jan 4 (IANS): In the wake of the rising Covid-19 cases, the Haryana Government has imposed restrictions in Gurugram for market, malls, shops, liquor vends and others. They will remain closed from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m.

More than 50 liquor vendors from the East/West zone protested at the office of the District Excise Commissioner in Gurugram on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum to the Commissioner and urged him to extend their liquor shop closure timing from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and if not, they demanded a rebate in the license fee.

"The government has imposed timing restrictions due to Covid-19, however, we are not against the government order but our 90 per cent businesses have been impacted due to liquor shops closure timing till 5 p.m. Maximum people used to buy liquor during the evening hours and if our shops will be closed at 5 p.m. how our business will run as we are paying a hefty licence fee to the government," Rohit Yadav, a liquor contractor told IANS.

The vendors said while the bar and restaurant can operate till 11 p.m. with 50 percent occupancy, the closure of liquor vends at 5 p.m. makes no sense.

"We just urge the commissioner to extend our timing from current 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. so that we can run our businesses. With this restriction, our business has been drastically hampered and if they will not rebate us we have no option but to close our establishment or in future, we will decide our future course of action. We are already following all Covid protocols," Vikram Yadav, another liquor vendor told IANS.

An official of the excise department requesting anonymity said they have received a memorandum given by liquor contractors. They said they will inform the government on the issue and necessary help will be provided to them.