THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Supreme Court clarification on Friday that bars at five-star hotels and beer and wine parlours situated within 500 metres of state and national highways would also have to be shut down has become a major embarrassment for the LDF government. The LDF government had earlier decided to renew the licence of the five-star hotels and beer and wine parlours after getting a legal opinion from attorney general Mukul Rohatgi that the SC order won't be applicable to five-star hotels and beer and wine parlours.
Even as shutters will fall for scores of liquor outlets, they still have the option to resume functioning by shifting the outlets. However it is not an easy task for the five-star hotels and beer and wine parlours due to the infrastructure involved. Of the 270 Bevco outlets, 179 were within 500 metres of highways. Of this 49 could be shifted to other locations, whereas 130 could not be shifted. With regards to Consumerfed, 29 of the 39 outlets were within the 500 metre mark. Of this, 20 were already shifted. Eleven of the 31 five-star hotels, 557 of the 815 beer and wine parlours, 18 of the 34 clubs are falling with in the 500 metre mark.
Shifting these establishments are not an easy task. Of the 5,200 toddy shops, more than 1,000 are within 500 metre mark. They could try the option of shifting without much difficulty, Excise department sources said. Sources also said that though the Supreme Court gave relaxation of 220 metres to municipal areas with less that 20,000 population, it wouldn't be applicable to anyplace in Kerala. Moreover, extension upto September 30 was also given to some states where the excise licences are given from October to September. In Kerala, the licences are issued from April to March.
