IANS/Thiruvananthapuram
The Congress-led United Democratic Front has always taken an anti-liquor stand to bring in prohibition in a phased manner, Kerala Excise Minister K Babu said yesterday.
He said the first file he inked after assuming charge as excise minister in 2011 was to cancel permission given by the outgoing V S Achuthanandan government (2006-11) for opening 14 new retail liquor outlets.
Since then despite numerous recommendations, no new retail outlet had been opened, Babu said.
Wholesale and retail trade in liquor in Kerala is handled by state-run agencies and there are 383 retail liquor shops. Besides these retail outlets, there are 710 bars in various star categories and 20 five star hotels that have bars.
“During the five years of the Achuthanandan government they sanctioned 152 bars, while we gave sanction for 60 bars and another 39 bars were sanctioned after a court order,” Babu said.
He said the UDF manifesto was loud and clear and it was to achieve prohibition in a phased manner. “And that’s what we are up to.”
A Supreme Court bench of Justice Anil R Dave and Justice U U Lalit this week asked the Kerala High Court to hear a petition by the bar owners who have challenged the Kerala government’s order asking them to down shutters. The order was effective from September 11 but the top court said the bars need not close until September 30.
The court asked the state government to file an affidavit on Tuesday and the bar owners to file their counter-affidavit on Thursday. It also asked the high court not to postpone the case.
“This Tuesday we are filing our affidavit in the Kerala High Court as directed by the Supreme Court in the case that was given by the bar owners’ association. Every action that we have taken after our government assumed office clearly shows our seriousness- that our aim is to achieve prohibition in a phased manner,” Babu said.
He also said the government’s efforts to achieve total prohibition include reducing the availability of liquor.
“When we assumed office, we reduced the timings of the bars, reduced the maximum stock that a bar can hold at a given time, we saw that statutory warnings are issued in cinema halls about liquor besides running numerous campaigns against liquor,” said Babu.
Under the new liquor policy, only five star hotels and 383 state-owned retail liquor shops will be allowed to remain open. Ten percent of the retail outlets will close down every year and total prohibition will be achieved by October 2, 2023.
“We are confident that we have put things in perspective and now we will see what the court has to say,” Babu said.