Three bar licenses cleared behind Excise Minister’s back; 2 Deputy Commissioners suspended

Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the UDF government’s new liquor policy takes shape behind the scenes, a stealthy flurry of back-channel approvals has seen three beer-and-wine parlours in Muvattupuzha, Kochi and Pala successfully upgrade to full-fledged bar hotels. The move triggered immediate administrative fallout, resulting in the suspension of two senior excise officials.

Ernakulam Deputy Commissioner P K Satheesh and Pathanamthitta Deputy Commissioner P L Shibu (who held additional charge of Kottayam district) have been placed under suspension following direct instructions from Excise Minister M Liju to the Excise Commissioner. The action came after the Minister expressed strong displeasure over the developments. In response, Excise Commissioner Seeram Sambasiva Rao also submitted a report confirming that the licenses were issued entirely without his knowledge.

Hotels that lost their bar licenses due to the previous UDF government's liquor policy and were converted into beer and wine parlours were permitted to reclaim bar licenses upon attaining a three-star or higher classification under a policy adopted by the previous LDF government. Capitalising on this framework, three beer and wine parlours had applied for bar licenses prior to the current government taking office.

The application for the hotel in Muvattupuzha arrived on June 23, and the license was granted the very next day, while the application submitted by the hotel in Kochi on June 25 was approved on June 29. The application for the hotel in Pala was received by the Deputy Excise Commissioner on September 29, and the license was issued on October 3.

With the current administration making it a rule to keep all new bar license decisions frozen until the unveiling of its upcoming liquor policy, the Minister underscored that such clearances should have been brought directly to his attention. However, because no procedural or legal lapses were found in the license-granting process, the licenses cannot be revoked. Doing so would give the bar owners grounds to approach the court.