Gurugram, May 7 -- A sweeping overhaul of Haryana's excise policy has upended the state's BYOB (bring your own bottle) culture, with the government capping tavern (ahata) size at 1,000 square metres, banning live performances, and tightening visibility and licensing norms. The policy-approved last week by the state Cabinet-aims to crack down on rogue ahatas that had mushroomed in districts like Gurugram, Faridabad, and Sonipat, often operating like unlicensed pubs. The changes have dealt a blow to the nightlife economy, particularly in Gurugram, where some ahatas-spanning up to 25,000 square metres and built at costs exceeding Rs.15 crore-now face closure or drastic operational changes. "We had invested nearly Rs.12 crore to set up one of our ahatas-interiors, soundproofing, kitchen equipment, everything. It was a high-end space. Now, it's worthless overnight. How can the government treat serious investors like this?" said Shashank Sangal, who owns the Liquor Forte chain. The government said the reforms are aimed at restoring regulatory order in a sector riddled with violations. Until now, ahatas operated in a grey zone-offering live entertainment, food service, and even valet parking under the guise of being linked to liquor vends. Officials alleged that many had encroached on green belts, violated land use norms, and evaded commercial taxes. "These ahatas were never meant to become entertainment venues or multi-storey clubs. The new policy is meant to bring them back to their original function-controlled, enclosed drinking areas linked to licensed vends. It's about restoring regulatory clarity and consumer safety," said Jitender Dudi, deputy excise and taxation commissioner (west), Gurugram. "These measures help restore the original purpose of taverns-not as de facto bars or nightclubs," added Rahul Singh, trustee of the National Restaurant Association of India. Neeraj Yadav, another operator, said the policy disrupts the informal practice of new vend winners paying a premium to take over ahatas. "The entire trade is being pushed to a corner," he said. Licensed bar and restaurant operators, meanwhile, long frustrated by what they saw as unfair competition from unregulated ahatas, have welcomed the crackdown. "These ahatas operated without accountability," said Varun Duggal of Massive Restaurants. He flagged, however, that a hike in restaurant licence fees may hurt profitability. The excise licence fee for Gurugram has been raised from 3% to 4% of the liquor zone fee, and enforcement mechanisms have been strengthened....