Thiruvananthapuram: Retail liquor outlets in the state would remain open from 9 am to 11 pm when the new excise policy kicks off.
The new liquor policy would take effect on July 1, a dry day in the state for years.
So the liquor outlets and bars would be open only on July 2.
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At present, the retail vends are functioning from 10 am to 9 pm. The retail outlets are now being run by the Kerala State Beverages Corporation and Consumerfed.
The draft policy approved by the cabinet had not mentioned about change in the working hours of the retail outlets.
It had said that bars would open at 11 am and would be closed by 11 pm. Bars functioning tourism zones would remain open from 10 am to 11 pm, as per the draft policy.
It had not mentioned anything about the working hours of beer and wine parlors. The parlors as well as clubs would function from 11 am to 11 pm hereafter. The government has approved the rules in consonance with the new excise policy.
Minimum age
The government would promulgate an ordinance for amending the Kerala Abkari (Excise) Act to raise the minimum age for liquor consumption from the present 21 to 23 years.
The age limit was raised in the draft liquor policy of the Left Democratic Front Government announced recently.
Since the prescription of age limit figures in the Abkari Act, it could not be included in the rules of the policy framework.
The move is to issue the ordinance before July 2, the date fixed for reopening the bars. Amendments will have to be made in the Abkari Dispoal Rules for permitting to vend toddy through bars. Rules have been amended to fix the distance between bars at 200 meters.
When the previous United Democratic Front government implemented its Excise policy, the distance between bars in panchayats was fixed at 3 km and in corporation and municipal areas at 1 km. This decision led to a legal tussle and the distance was fixed at 200 meters.
When the Supreme Court banned vends within a 500 meter radius of National Highways, rules were amended in such a way that the hotels that were forced to wind up business were permitted to open beer and wine parlors in the same taluks.
The buildings housing such beer and wine parlors should get a One-Star certification of the Tourism Department and also ensure employment for the workers in the bars that were closed in the wake of the Supreme Court order.
Bar licenses would be issued for hotels falling in the three star and above categories. Those in heritage, heritage grand, heritage classic too would be eligible for bar license.
In addition to permission to serve liquor in roof top, swimming pool and premises, clearance would be granted for the same in the banquet hall too on securing an annual license for Rs 50,000. The annual bar license fees is Rs.28 lakh.
Income to rise
With the government extending the functional time retail for liquor outlets, the income of Kerala State Beverages Corporation and Consumerfed is set for a steep increase.
When 815 bars were functioning in the State, both agencies accounted for 70 percent of the liquor sales.
Now, the government is planning to reopen 150 bars. At present Bevco is earning an annual income of Rs.9,900 crore and Consumerfed Rs.1,560 from the sales through retail outlets. The average sale per day has been pegged at Rs.10.40 lakh. On extending the time limit of the retail outlets, the police would have to lift the restrictions on eateries at night too.
