Excise department’s 'hasty granting' of bar licenses wrong-foots UDF government

The Kerala Excise Department's rapid reclassification of wine and beer parlours as bars has raised concerns for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government. This sudden approval process, including lounge bar licenses at the Cochin International Airport (CIAL), appears to have been based on rules set by the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.

The UDF's "prohibitionist base," consisting of Christian and Muslim social organizations, was reportedly upset by the licensing decisions, which took place while the cabinet was drafting the state's liquor policy for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

The LDF capitalized on the controversy to portray the UDF as a disorganized administration that lacks governance awareness. Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretary M.V. Govindan dismissed the government's claim that Excise Minister M. Liju was unaware of the rapid bar license grants as implausible, saying the minister's approval was required under the LDF regime.

Former Excise Minister M.B. Rajesh accused the minister of attempting to save face by blaming Excise officials for issuing the licenses under existing rules. He criticized the UDF for issuing licenses to influential entities ahead of finalizing its liquor policy.

Rajesh also accused the Minister of not following through on his promise to cancel licenses for bars that served alcohol to underage teens involved in a recent fatal drunken driving accident. The Minister explained that the Excise Department order did not surprise the government, as the LDF had dismantled the checks and balances that previously required key decisions to be referred to the Minister.

The government has since launched an investigation into the issue, including reviewing licenses for bars that were reissued after being defunct for 12 years.