Elated over the Supreme Court verdict upholding Kerala's new liquor policy restricting issuance of bar licenses to only five star hotels, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today said it was a well thought out policy aimed at reducing availability of hard liquor in the state.
The new policy had been initiated by the government in the wake of widespread criticism on the increase in liquor consumption in the state, which has the dubious distinction of being the highest per capita consumption of liquor.
The apex court passing orders on a batch of pleas by Kerala bar owners, challenging the liquor policy, upheld the state's decision to close down over 700 bars below the category of five star hotels. The hoteliers had claimed that government's decision was discriminatory.
Reacting to the verdict, Chandy said it was a "well thought out policy and not one, which was implemented in a hurry as alleged by the opposition", while Kerala PCC President V M Sudheeran described the judgement as "historical".
State Excise Minister K Babu, said the state would go ahead with its anti-liquor campaign projects while former Finance Minister and Kerala Congress (M) supremo K M Mani, felt the apex court decision was a 'recognition' for the UDF and the government.
Chandy told reporters here that the new liquor policy brought out in August 2014, was a continuation of the UDF's initiative to reduce the availability of hard liquor.
The policy's main objective was to implement total prohibition in 10 years time and to rehabilitate the workers, the closed bars were converted to wine and beer parlours.
"The policy is not against any business groups. It is against the social evil ... To rescue the people from the clutches of liquor menace," Chandy said.
Meanwhile, the bar hotel owners association said they will decide on further step on the matter after consulting legal experts.
The UDF government had last year decided to close down about 700 odd liqour bars in the state, triggering a hue and cry from bar hoteliers.
The liquor policy was seen as a masterstroke by Chandy in the wake of frictions in Congress over the issue when KPCC President V M Sudheeran objected to renewing licences of nearly 400 bars, closed due to poor standards.
A section in the Congress then took a stand that, bar licence should be renewed after giving the bar owners time to improve their facilities, but Sudhdeeran maintained that licence of these bars should not be renewed.
