HC upholds State liquor policy but with changes

The Kerala High Court on Thursday upheld the liquor policy of the State government, but allowed bars in four-star and heritage hotels to function in addition to those in five-star and higher categories.

Justice K. Surendra Mohan set aside the decision to refuse bar licences to four-star and heritage hotels, while allowing a batch of writ petitions by the hoteliers. Consequently, the court quashed the Excise Commissioner’s decision to cancel 33 licences, as the Supreme Court had held that they were perfectly in order.

Licence renewal

The court, however, ratified the government decision not to renew the licences of bars in two and three-star, and other hotels.

The judge said the proposal to shut down bars in four-star and heritage hotels surfaced all of a sudden in the liquor policy of 2014-15. The preferential treatment given to the bars in hotels in five-star and higher categories could not be justified as well.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president V.M. Sudheeran said the verdict was a recognition of the new liquor policy of the government. Mr. Chandy said it was incorrect to observe that the verdict was only a partial ratification.

Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan termed it a wrong policy.