Declining to interfere with the government decision not to renew the licence of 418 bars, the Kerala High Court on Friday observed that the abkari policy of the government was laudable. Justice V. Chithambaresh, while rejecting a plea of some bar hoteliers to issue an interim directive to renew their licences, said low-end bar hotels were frequented by daily labourers and students.
“We often see students in uniforms trooping into such low-end bars where liquor is freely supplied without insisting on proof of age and access to the low-end bars should be narrowed down to the possible extent,” the court observed.
Justice V.Chithambaresh observed that it was premature for the court to direct the government to renew the bar licences of hotels which did not confirm to four-star and above classification norms.
