Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM top brass in Kerala has given the go-ahead to open the bars closed down by the previous Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government. The ruling party will consult its allies before the government formulates a liquor policy based on the policy adopted by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of 2007.
The UDF government’s decision to close down all bars in the state, except those attached to five star-rated ones, had led to a spike in illegal trade of narcotic substances as more and more youngsters took to alternative modes of intoxication, excise minister T.P. Ramakrishnan told a CPM state secretariat meeting.
The plan is to revert to the policy formulated on March 1, 2007 during the tenure of former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan. That policy was scrapped by the Oommen Chandy government in 2014.
All 850 bars to be reopened?
A change in policy is expected to lead to the reopening of all 850 bars in the state, including the 418, the licenses of which were not renewed after March 31, 2014. However, half of these will remain shut, thanks to a Supreme Court order that barred alcohol sale within 500 meters of national and state highways.
The affected bar owners in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have filed a review petition before the Supreme Court. The Kerala Tourism Department had asked the government for permission to open 40 bars in tourism spots three months ago. The CPM was in favor of the proposal but partner CPI objected to the preferential treatment to the tourism sector.
The CPM also faced objection from an affiliated trade union of bar hotel employees which argued that most of the employees worked in ordinary bars and any change in the sector should address their problems first.
The 418 bars were closed down in 2014 as they were seen to be operating in unhygienic conditions. The resulting controversy snowballed to a drastic move to close down all bars except the five-star ones. The excise department now thinks that the bars, which have been turned into beer and wine parlors, have improved amenities.
The LDF government had already scrapped the previous government’s decision to close down 10 percent of alcohol sales outlets every year towards the goal of total prohibition.
