Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials have shut down 15 pubs in Jubilee Hills on Friday for violations ranging from being run in unauthorised structures, to lack of parking and fire clearances.
Majority of the pubs closed down were on road numbers 36 and 45 of Jubilee Hills, and a few were near Jubilee Hills Checkpost.
As per information shared by Khairatabad zonal commissioner Musharraf Ali Faruqui, those shut down include Hard Cup Cafe, United Kitchens of India, Prost Brewpub, Chemistry, Celebrations, Karma and others.
About 10 among them were being run on unauthorised floors in steel structures, without mandatory building clearance by GHMC.
“A few did not have parking, fire exits, and had unsafe kitchens,” Mr. Faruqui shared. Some were old residential buildings converted as pubs, which could provide hardly any parking space. “We have been receiving complaints every weekend, of vehicles being parked illegally on the roads, leading to traffic nuisance,” Mr. Faruqui said.
As they were not issued occupancy certificate by GHMC, the pubs had only provisional trade licences, issued under the Telangana government’s Ease of Doing Business policy.
The provisional license, with the disclaimer that they would not apply to establishments run in unauthorised structures, would expire in three months, by the end of which the owner should get permanent licence.
The pubs had been enjoying power and water supply, besides excise permission, on the basis of provisional trade licences.
They had been issued three notices in two months time, asking them to produce valid documents, which they failed to comply with, Mr. Faruqui informed.