The ruling Congress-led UDF in Kerala has decided to shut down over 700 liquor bars attached to hotels below the five-star categories besides make Sundays ‘dry days.’
The decision, taken in a meeting of the UDF leadership presided by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, also marked the resolution of the long-drawn feud in the state unit of the Congress and the coalition over the question of renewing licences of 418 bars which were found to be lacking in quality.
The decisions will be formally recommended to the Chandy Cabinet to act upon. The UDF leadership had earlier resolved to take firm measures to bring down availability of liquor to the common man and take the state to its goal of ‘total prohibition’ in a phased manner.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Chandy said the 418 bars which had been lying closed since April this year would not be re-opened. Also, another 312 bars will be closed down, subject to legal advice.
In case there were some legal hitches in shutting them immediately, they would not be allowed to run business from the next financial year. The decision would mean that only five-star hotels will have bars, Chandy said. Regarding the retail sales through the outlets of state Beverages Corporation, the number of such outlets would be wound up by 10 per cent every year.
The decision, taken in a meeting of the UDF leadership presided by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, also marked the resolution of the long-drawn feud in the state unit of the Congress and the coalition over the question of renewing licences of 418 bars which were found to be lacking in quality.
The decisions will be formally recommended to the Chandy Cabinet to act upon. The UDF leadership had earlier resolved to take firm measures to bring down availability of liquor to the common man and take the state to its goal of ‘total prohibition’ in a phased manner.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Chandy said the 418 bars which had been lying closed since April this year would not be re-opened. Also, another 312 bars will be closed down, subject to legal advice.
In case there were some legal hitches in shutting them immediately, they would not be allowed to run business from the next financial year. The decision would mean that only five-star hotels will have bars, Chandy said. Regarding the retail sales through the outlets of state Beverages Corporation, the number of such outlets would be wound up by 10 per cent every year.