Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam Excise Minister M Liju has said that the UDF government would conduct a detailed examination of 488 bar licences granted during the previous LDF government’s tenure and take action if any irregularities are detected.
He was responding to allegations raised by CPI leader and former Excise Minister M B Rajesh over action taken against Excise officials for issuing licences to bars in accordance with the previous LDF government’s liquor policy. These 488 bar licences were granted over 10 years by the previous two Pinarayi Vijayan governments using the authority given to Deputy Excise Commissioners through a rule amendment, he said. He said the amendment, introduced on June 23, 2017, allowed establishments that had lost their bar licences in 2014 and subsequently operated as beer and wine parlours to regain their licences by submitting fresh applications. Under the 2017 amendment, 410 hotels were granted bar licences during the first LDF government and another 78 during its second term, taking the total to 488, Liju said. On the issue of FL 7 licences for airport transit lounges, the minister said the category was introduced during the Oommen Chandy government in July 2011, and the authority to issue such licences was vested with the Excise Commissioner at that time. Another application for an FL 7 licence was subsequently referred to the government, following which the Additional Chief Secretary, on August 4, directed that no decision be taken until the UDF government’s liquor policy was announced, he said.
He also said an Excise Deputy Commissioner who took a decision contrary to government policy was removed from the post and two other Deputy Commissioners were suspended.
