Kerala local bodies to lose control over liquor

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government is likely to revoke the previous UDF government’s decision allowing the local bodies to give clearance for liquor outlets. According to sources, the government  reviewed the issue after the Kerala State Beverages Corporation reported that shifting of liquor outlets from the highways in accordance with the recent Supreme Court directive  was affected in about 25 places owing to the reluctance of the local bodies concerned in granting the nod. Local Self-Government Minister K.T. Jaleel said, “a demand to lift the powers vested with local bodies to give the nod for opening liquor outlets is under the government’s consideration. But we are yet to take a final decision on the matter,” he told DC.Sources said the government was even considering the option of relaxing  the norm at least for government-run liquor outlets. It may be recalled that CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who was deputy opposition leader in the previous Assembly, had  said in the Assembly in 2013 that the LDF wasagainst granting powers of issuing bar licence to local bodies.

According to  sources, after the previous UDF government granted the powers to the local bodies, there were widespread complaints of their misuse citing flimsy reasons. Even the previous excise minister K. Babu had told the Assembly that the local bodies were misusing the powers. “In many instances, even after the local bodies denied permissions to liquor outlets, the courts had intervened  and ordered issuance of the licence. Moreover,  the excise department used to grant licence only after strictly following a set of distance norms. Above all, liquor supply is a matter concerning the state government’s policy. Hence,  there was no need for the nod of local bodies for opening liquor outlets,” a government official said.