The Supreme Court had initially banned liquor outlets along national and state highways to reduce accidents caused by drunken driving. Thiruvananthapuram: The stage has been set for the opening of more three-star bars in Kerala with the government deciding to consider panchayats having a population of over 10,000 as urban areas.
Now, more bars are expected to be opened along national and state highways in the state. The government has also waived the population limit of 10,000 for panchayats in tourist spots, following which these areas too will see the opening of new bars.
The state government’s order follows a modification by the Supreme Court of its verdict banning liquor outlets in a 500-meter radius of national and state highways. A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by chief justice Deepak Misra had ruled that the state governments could decide on opening bars in panchayats having an urban character situated along national and state highways.
The rules were earlier relaxed for bars in municipal areas. Following the new order, bars with three-star facilities can be opened in panchayats along national and state highways and applications for new licences can be submitted.
The LDF government’s policy envisages allowing bars having three-star facilities and above to function.
The Supreme Court order has, in effect, made the ban on liquor outlets along highways null and void.
State government’s order
The order issued by the state government says panchayats having a population of above 10,000 according to the census and panchayat department statistics will be considered urban.
Areas which have been identified as tourist spots by the tourism department or the taxes department will be considered as areas with urban characteristics.
Timeline of liquor ban
The Supreme Court had initially banned liquor outlets along national and state highways to reduce accidents caused by drunken driving.
A three-member bench headed by the then chief justice J S Khehar had ruled in December 2016 that no liquor outlet should function in a 500-meter radius of national and state highways.
On March 31 2017, the court issued a new order also banning beer and wine parlours along highways.
Later, the court refused to quash the orders passed by certain state governments downgrading the status of highway stretches passing through town areas. The court also waived the ban on liquor outlets in municipal areas.
In its latest order, the Supreme Court said that the waiver could be extended to panchayats with urban features. This has resulted in effectively lifting the ban on liquor outlets along highways.
