Inspection of bars remaining closed in the district is yet to begin despite the State government’s decision to sanction them beer-wine parlours.
Apart for the government order on the policy change, the excise department hasn’t received any formal communication with regard to the inspection of bars, which were forced to shut down since April on quality issues.
At 103, Ernakulam tops the State in terms of closed-down bars. Some months back the excise department had initiated quality inspection of these bars following court directions on a petition filed by bar owners against closure. However, that exercise was suspended after the government came up with its liquor policy.
That inspection was conducted to assess whether the bars met the star classifications. However, the government decision to grant beer-wine parlours is unlikely to inspection based on stringent star classification parameters.
Sources told The Hindu that the government order simply stated that the hygienic among the closed bars may be granted beer-wine parlours subjected to the condition that they did not lay off workers.
Moreover the inspection will be carried out on specific applications by bar owners for beer-wine parlours, which the department do not foresee before the final disposal of cases relating to the bar issue. Sources said that bar owners were likely to apply only if the final verdict goes against their demand for restoring their bar licences.
However, the Kerala Bar Hotels Association (KBHA) countered this observation. “Affected bar owners will start applying from this week itself since applying for beer-wine parlours and legal battle over bar licence are two separate issues,” said Jose Pradeep, district president, KBHA.
Sources further pointed out that the government’s decision to offer beer-wine parlours to the closed down bars as a continuation of their licence that they held till this March was a ploy to overcome a provision in the Abkari Act. For, the Act states that beer or wine parlour licence can be granted to private parties only on satisfying three star classifications, which would effectively rule out many of these bars, they said.
Meanwhile, the excise department is likely to get busy with the collection of fees for the operation of toddy shops in the next financial year. The department has already initiated the process, which is to be completed by the 10th of next month.
