Will investigate whether any bar licences granted hastily: Keralam Excise Minister

Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi, the Keralam Excise Minister M Liju announced on Monday that an investigation will be conducted into whether any liquor licence grants to bars were made hastily. According to Liju, the current government opposes granting licences without conducting a social impact study. However, the previous administration's rules permitted bars to obtain licences within 24 hours, even if they had been closed for years, a practice enabled by loopholes, Liju alleged.

He emphasized that this will be investigated and that all loopholes will be closed, potentially through amendments to the law. Liju also stated that numerous bar licence applications are pending, and the Kerala High Court has accepted the government's stance that a social impact study is required before granting a licence to a hotel based solely on its star classification.

The High Court has given the government until November 30 to decide on these pending applications. The minister further revealed that three excise officials were recently suspended for issuing bar licences to hotels in Ernakulam and Kottayam districts, contradicting the government's new policy of delaying licences until a new liquor policy is in place.

Liju acknowledged complaints related to licence grants and assured that a detailed meeting will be convened to scrutinize these issues. He also alleged that retired excise officials may have interfered in the licence issuance process and promised to investigate these claims. The minister stressed that the actions of his department significantly impact society and must be taken with utmost care.