Thiruvananthapuram: Bar licence is not mandatory for granting five-star classification, according to sources in the central ministry of tourism. Many UDF leaders have been defending the government decision to grant bar licence to five-star hotels citing that it was mandatory for five-star hotels to have bar licence.
However, tourism ministry officials as well as hotel industry sources denied such a claim. It is also alleged that such a wrong impression was being spread by vested interest lobbies to help the liquor industry. According to an assistant director of the hotels and restaurants division of the tourism ministry, bars for five-star hotels are subject to the liquor policies of the state.
Even if there is no prohibition, it is not necessary to have FL-3 licence (licence for foreign liquor), but only FL-11 licence (licence for beer/wine) was necessary for five-star hotel.
“Foreign liquor licence is not mandatory to get five-star classification as liquor policies are decided by the state governments. In states where prohibition is imposed, five-star status is granted to hotels without bars. Moreover, in places where no prohibition is in place, only licence for beer and wine parlour is required and it was not at all mandatory to have licence for foreign liquor,” assistant director Niraj Saran told Deccan Chronicle. Kerala Hotels and Restaurants Association president Sudhish Kumar also said that bar licence was not mandatory for getting five- star classification.
