Kerala alcohol ban: Prohibition will take effect soon

Thiruvananthapuram: The UDF Government has decided to enforce phased prohibition with immediate effect. This was decided after a meeting between chief minister Oommen Chandy and excise minister K. Babu. On Thursday, the chief minister while announcing the new liquor policy had stated that the phased prohibition would come into being from April 1,2015.

At a press conference after the meeting,  the chief minister said that the government order pertaining to the new abkari policy announced on Thursday, will be issued on Friday. “I have asked the  excise minister to submit a detailed file containing all aspects of the liquor policy today itself, ’’ he added.

The Government will place the policy before the high court which is currently hearing the matter related to the closure of 418 bars, on August 26. The chief minister said the government had received the legal opinion that it had powers to close down the remaining 312 bars and the steps would be to shut these bars this year itself.  “There is no need to wait till March 31 to close down these bars and their license fee for the remaining period of 312 bars will be returned. There is no relevance for the current inspection being conducted to ascertain the standard of these bars in the wake of  the liquor policy,’’ he added.

As announced on Thursday that each year 10 per cent outlets of the Beverages Corporation would be closed down every year, the first lot of 39 outlets would be shut on down on Oct.2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi. He said the decision to have dry on all Sundays will begin from Oct. 5.

The chief minister said 5 per cent cess will be charged on liquor sales for the rehabilitation of bar workers and other relief activities under Punarjani scheme. When asked about the posh clubs which serve liquor, the chief minister said that a decision on such establishments would be taken soon.