A decision on beer, wine parlours, and clubs with liquor licences and the status of sanctioning licences to hotels in the five-star category will be based on the High Court verdict on cases in this regard, UDF convener P.P. Thankachan has said.
He told mediapersons after a high-power committee meeting of the UDF here on Saturday that the front constituents had agreed that a decision on this need not be taken in haste.
Rejecting reports that the government was evasive by not appealing against the Single Bench verdict permitting four-star hotels to function, Mr. Thankachan said the government counsel had already made it clear that an appeal would be filed before the Division Bench by November 25.
The government would not appeal against the verdict of a Division Bench to shift outlets of Kerala State Beverages Corporation Limited located along the national highways. But it would appeal against the court verdict to provide licence to eight four-star bars, he said. Mr. Thankachan said the UDF’s liquor policy was to encourage people to abstain from alcohol in a phased manner and not total prohibition.
All-party meet
The UDF convener said the government would convene an all-party meeting in Thiruavananthapuram on November 25. A delegation comprising leaders of all parties would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Union Ministers requesting the Centre to ban the import of rubber.