Kerala to investigate hasty grant of bar licences
Excise Minister M Liju said an inquiry will check if officials issued liquor licences without following proper procedures.
Kerala Excise Minister M Liju said on Monday that the government will investigate whether officials showed unwanted haste in issuing liquor licences to bars. Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Liju stated that the current administration intends to conduct social impact studies before granting any licences.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, Liju alleged that loopholes created by the previous LDF administration allowed licences to be issued within 24 hours, even for bars that had been closed for years. He claimed the Excise Commissioner was not informed about some of these decisions.
The minister noted that three excise officials were recently suspended for issuing licences to hotels in the Ernakulam and Kottayam districts. This occurred in violation of the government's position that no licences should be granted until a new liquor policy is formulated.
Liju also mentioned complaints regarding retired excise officials intervening in the licensing process. He said a detailed meeting will be called to examine these complaints and that the law may be amended to close existing loopholes.
Regarding pending applications, Liju said the Kerala High Court was informed that star classification of a hotel is not sufficient for a licence without a social impact study. The court has granted the government until November 30 to decide on the pending bar licence applications.