Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 03: Despite simmering discontent in varied quarters, together with by several of his colleagues, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Wednesday aforesaid there’ll be no change within the state’s liquor policy.
“Abstinence from liquor and prohibition is the two-prong strategy that may create our state reach total prohibition. Phased prohibition has been our final objective and what we’ve got done now’s to line a deadline to realize that,” Chandy told reporters here.
According to the new liquor policy of Kerala government, introduced last month, the remaining 292 bars in the state can fold Sep twelve. the govt has not allowed 418 bars to open this financial due to poor infrastructure in them.
The new policy permits solely twenty five-star hotels within the state to serve liquor. From Oct two this year, all Sundays will be dry days. Out of the 383 state-owned retail liquor retailers, ten % can fold every year paving manner for Kerala to realize complete prohibition by Oct 2, 2023.
When asked concerning the reservations on the liquor policy expressed by a number of his colleagues in the cabinet, in his party and by several others, Chandy said: “During the decision-making method, I found myself alone on one aspect and all the remainder on the opposite aspect (demanding prohibition). thus I conjointly joined the opposite aspect.”
Meanwhile, a section of the owners of bars that haven’t been allowed to open this financial have filed a petition in Kerala high court.
