The State Human Rights Commission has ordered that bars which do not have two-star facilities should be closed down.
SHRC chairperson J.B. Koshy issued the orders on the petitions filed by prohibition activists, housewives, and bar owners. He said the discrepancies in issuing bar licences should be avoided. There were complaints that bars with three star and four star facilities had been closed down.
The SHRC chairperson said that top district officials of the Excise and Tourism Departments should inspect the bars and close down those that lacked adequate facilities, and reopen those which had the facilities.
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Mr. Koshy said that courts and commissions could not enforce prohibition. Judges and commission members would have divergent views and personal opinions should not be enforced. The courts could intervene if the government acted against the fundamental rights, he said. The Commission, in its directive to the State Chief Secretary, also asked the government to take a decision on the liquor policy at the earliest.