India, March 19 -- Gurugram

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.

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.

Excise officials said the crackdown will continue an...