Gurgaon: Corporate houses in Haryana will soon provide “low-content” alcoholic drinks in their canteens, such as beer and wine. The state government recently introduced a liquor policy under which a licence will be issued to offices to sell alcohol with terms and conditions.
Only businesses having a covered area of at least 1 lakh sqft and at least 5,000 employees on their payroll will be eligible for the licences. Drinks can be sold from an office pantry or canteen with at least 2,000 square feet of space.
The official said, “Besides, the HR policy of many offices would not have the provision of serving liquor in their offices. So, if you see, there will actually be very few companies that will apply for the licences.”
The new policy says, “It should not be a thoroughfare or connected to any area frequented by people.”
However, officials expressed concern about how many companies might apply for the permit. They said that the licence criteria of 5,000 employees and a 1 lakh sqft carpet space would disqualify numerous businesses. Companies with offices in SEZs and IT parks, for example, will not be covered by the policy.
Rahul Singh, founder of the Beer Cafe and Trustee of NRAI said, “The new liquor policy is intended at promoting a safe drinking habit in corporate offices. This is a reformative step towards creating a culture of both fun and responsibility in the offices. Clear-cut guidelines have been issued to the companies.”
