Pinarayi Vijayan, the Kerala Chief Minister, reiterated his party’s stance on alcohol prohibition, stating that the party believes in abstinence and not prohibiton.
“Prohibition leads to many socio-legal problems. Wherever liquor has been prohibited, there is a tendency to consume through illegal mean. That leads to large-scale loss of life,” the leader told Mint in an interview.
Here’s a timeline of alcohol prohibition in Kerala and the developments so far.
August 2014
Citing increased instances of alcohol abuse, the state government declared that only 23 five-star hotels will be
permitted to serve liquor. It announced a phase-wise ban, which included closing down of several hundreds of bars.
The state government, under the then chief minister Oomen Chandy, submitted a road map to make Kerala a dry state by October 2023.
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Several bar owners and hoteliers held meetings to consider legal recourse against the state’s decision. While some chose to air their grievances with the government, some considered taking legal steps.
December 2014
Facing flak over the move, the government relaxed norms related to sale of alcohol. It said that other hotels and bars could sell alcohol, but only wine and beer. The state has a high consumption of rum and brandy.
March 2015
Bars and hotels in the state had moved the Kerala High Court, challenging the state government’s decision on alcohol.
The High Court upheld the state government’s decision. "Tourism cannot be the only motive of any policy, welfare and health of people is equally important. The promotion of tourism cannot translate into promotion of liquor," the court had said. The move resulted in closing down of over 300 bars at that time in the state.
April 2015
Following the High Court’s decision, bar owners in the state moved the Supreme Court, challenging the order.
December 2015
The Supreme Court upheld the order passed by the Kerala High Court, which imposed the phase-wise ban on alcohol in the state. By the time the court had delivered the judgement, 700 bars had closed down in the state.
“The consumption of tobacco as well as liquor is now undeniably deleterious to the health of humankind. ..banning public consumption of alcohol, therefore, in our considered opinion, cannot but be seen as a positive step... " the court said.
Bar owners, represented by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, had said that the order was discriminatory as it meant only rich could access alcohol in the state.
April 2016
Ahead of assembly elections in the state, the UDF government reiterated its promise on prohibition in the state in ten years.
Meanwhile, the newly-elected LDF, in its poll manifesto maintained that it will not push hard for prohibition but for abstinence as the implementing the former strategy meant loss of jobs to several people.
May 2016
A week after winning assembly elections in the state, LDF said that it will review the liquor policy that was set implemented by the previous Chandy government. It said that the ban was causing loss to the tourism industry and that it led to rampant use of drugs by people in the state.