Kochi: Kerala high court on Monday directed the state government to take a final decision within one month on the renewal of licences of 418 bars, categorised as substandard by the CAG.
Justice P.N. Ravindran issued the order while considering the petitions filed by 44 bar hotel owners challenging the refusal of the government to consider their applications for renewal of licences.
Special government pleader Tom K. Thomas submitted that the secretary (taxes) had submitted the recommendations on the report of the Justice M. Ramachadran committee on abkari policy, including the renewal of the licences of the 418 bar hotels, to the government on May 16.
The policy decision on the renewal of the licences would be taken considering the recommendations of the secretary shortly. Justice Ramachandran is the one-man commission appointed to form a new abkary policy.
The state further submitted that on April 2 it had ratified the action of the Excise Commissioner in cancelling the licences of eight hotels.
The renewal of licences of hotels, except 418 mentioned in the Supreme Court order and the CAG report, will be done subject to the decision taken by the government on the recommendation of the one-man commission.
Justice P.N. Ravindran considered the cases after Justice C.T. Ravikumar had avoided the plea following advocate Thavamany’s visit to his home.
Earlier, a single bench had upheld the state’s decision not to renew the licences following the CAG report that most of the bar hotels have below-par facilities.
