Kerala to freeze new bar licences pending liquor policy, minister says

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala will issue an order halting the grant of new bar licences until its new liquor policy is announced, Excise Minister M. Liju said, as he addressed questions over a bar licence and the transfer of the Excise Commissioner.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Liju said the government had sought legal advice on cancelling a licence granted to an establishment that had operated as a wine parlour for several years before applying to become a bar.

“The government will issue an order stating that no new bar licences should be granted until the new liquor policy is announced,” he said.

Liju said the government had clarified its policy before the High Court and maintained that officials must inform the government when granting a licence for a new bar.

The minister did not give a timeline for announcing the new liquor policy or issuing the proposed order.

Responding to questions about the Excise Commissioner’s transfer, Liju said he had no dissatisfaction with the officer and pointed to a recent administrative reshuffle involving 35 Indian Administrative Service officers.

“The transfer of the Excise Commissioner is not the first such instance,” he said. “Is this the first time an officer has been transferred from a department?”

His remarks addressed both the administrative change and the government’s position on new bar approvals. He did not say whether the legal advice sought on cancelling the licence had been received.