The Kerala Bar Hotels Association (KBHA) will move the Supreme Court against the verdict of the Division Bench of the High Court upholding the State government’s liquor policy limiting bars to five star hotels the very next day after receiving the copy of the verdict.
Addressing the media after an executive committee of the association here on Wednesday, president D. Rajkumar said that the copy was expected by Saturday .
“We will argue that there is discrimination in not allowing bars in star hotels rated from one to four, which account for only a mere 18 per cent of the liquor sale, while five star bars, clubs and the government’s liquor shops continue to operate,” he said. The meeting was held with the sole agenda of discussing the legal battle against the verdict.
Mr. Rajkumar said that whether the 300-odd bars closed on Tuesday would go for beer and wine parlour was not discussed. The immediate priority is to pursue the legal battle to save the industry. “If there is some delay in the legal process, then we may consider it,” he said.
The association claimed that there wasn’t a strategic error in 374 of the closed down bars opting for beer and wine parlours even as they were fighting the liquor policy in the High Court.
It did not amount to accepting the liquor policy of the government. Two Benches of the same court had given different verdicts on the same issue. So it was not a mistake to opt for beer and wine parlour licence as it was clearly stated that the final decision would be subject to the outcome of the case, he said.
