Redrafting entirely the liquor policy of the former Congress-led UDF Government that had limited bars to 5-star hotels with the goal of eradicating liquor through phases, Kerala’s CPI(M)-led lDF Government on Thursday announced its booze policy by which hotels with classification of 3-star and above will be given bar licences. Anti-liquor crusaders have already threatened not to let “those who support the liquor lobby sleep peacefully”.
Announcing the new liquor policy to newsmen after a Cabinet meeting in Thiruvananthapuram endorsed the lDF’s proposal on Thursday evening, Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “The lDF believes in promoting temperance and does not agree with total prohibition, which has never been a success anywhere.” The lDF had approved the new policy earlier in the day.
“Currently, bars are operating only at 5-star hotels. We have decided to allot bar licences to hotels with classification of 3-star and above,” Pinarayi said. This is a total reversal of the former UDF Government’s policy which denied bar licences to 3-star and 4-star hotels and limited permission for serving liquor to 5-star hotels. However, bar licences will be allotted only to hotels that are situated beyond the Supreme-Court ordered distance limit from highways.
licences for running beer-and-wine parlours would be allotted as per facilities in accordance with the norms concerned, Pinarayi said. As per the policy, hotels with 2-star classification may qualify for getting licences to operate beer-and-wine parlour. “Also, permission will be given to hotels with liquor licence to serve booze at banquet halls by taking special fees,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that permission would be given for shifting liquor-vending centres — bars, beer-wine parlours and retail booze outlets — that were closed due to the Supreme Court order stipulating a 500-metre distance limit from highways to new places in the same taluks where they had been operating. The new booze
policy will come into force on July 1.
Asked about his Government’s stand on the former regime’s 2014 decision to close down ten per cent of the retail booze shops every year, leading to total eradication of liquor by 2024, Pinarayi said, “The lDF leadership and the Cabinet had not discussed that matter specifically.” Observers said the Government was unlikely to continue with the UDF policy over this.
According to the Chief Minister, Kerala currently has only 23 bars attached to 5-star hotels, 34 bars attached to clubs of the elite, 220 retail outlets and 341 beer-and-wine parlours. The number of bars in the State is expected to go up to more than 300 as per the new policy. The number of beer-and-wine parlours is also expected to go up considerably.
There will be measures to promote the sale of toddy, according to the new policy. Hotels with classification of above 3-star would be given special permission to serve quality toddy, Pinarayi said. He also said that liquor would henceforth be available at the State’s airports not only at international lounges but also at domestic lounges.
As per the new liquor policy, the duration of operation of liquor vends will be reduced to 12 hours from the present twelve-and-a-half hours. Currently, liquor outlets remain open from 9.30 am to 10.00 pm but the working hours, as per the new policy, will be from 11.00 am to 11.00 pm. At tourist centres, the working hours would be from 10.00 am to 11.00 pm, Pinarayi said.
Intense protests have already come up against the new liquor policy that has allegedly liberalised the sector as per the wishes of the liquor lobby. “Unpardonable betrayal and breach of promise,” was how senior Congress leader AK Antony termed the lDF policy while Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala accused the Government of dancing to the liquor lobby’s tune.
latin Rite Catholic Church Archbishop Soosa Pakiam, president of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council, alleged that
it was very unfortunate that
the Government was trying to help the liquor lobby. “But
we will continue our struggle,” he said.