The Kerala High Court has sought the state governments opinion on allowing the sale of liquor in bars only after office hours as a step to counter the drinking habit of people. The Congress government has already reduced the sale of liquor in hotels by three hours per day. Since 1953,bars in Kerala have remained opened from 6 am to midnight cutting across the category of hotels and town. Last year,the rule was amended to allow bars in hotels across municipal corporations to operate from 9 am to midnight while those in small towns from 8 am to 11 pm. Citing discrimination,a bar hotel licensee had obtained a stay from a single bench of the HC. While considering a government appeal against the bench order,the division bench of Justices C N Ramachandran Nair and Abdul Raheem this month asked why bar timings cant be from 5 pm to midnight. The bench asked the government to submit its affidavit by September 10. The judges observed that bars open during office hours prompt many drivers and employees to drink even while on duty. Restricting timings of bars and toddy shops from 5 pm to midnight would help the government bring down liquor sale,said the court. Excise Minister K Babu said the governments opinion would be framed after holding discussion with all stakeholders. We have no plans for total prohibition,but the availability has to be brought down. We have already reduced bar timing by three hours, he said. Babu said that the first two months of this fiscal year recorded 9.9 per cent increase in revenue from the sale of Indian-made foreign liquor compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. The government had decided to restrict fresh bar permits for four-star hotels this fiscal and for five-star hotels from next year. After prospective applicants challenged the order,the HC stayed it. However,even amidst the professed policy of curbing liquor supply,the government issued 35 fresh licences taking the number of bars to 745. Owner of a chain of bars in central Kerala said that the HC suggestion would not make an impact as 80 per cent of liquor is sold through government outlets. Until a few years ago,only middle class used to frequent bars. Now youths who make money through illegal means spend several hours in bars. Also,welfare measures such as rice at Re 1 coupled with higher wages prompt even daily workers to visit bars, he said.
