Kerala bar licence row sees Excise Minister blame LDF predecessor for ‘loopholes’

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 3 (IANS) Kerala Excise Minister M. Liju on Tuesday expressed strong displeasure over the grant of bar licences by officials without informing the government and took a sharp dig at his predecessor M.B. Rajesh, blaming the previous LDF government for the loopholes in the existing licensing system.

Liju said the Excise Commissioner should have informed the government before granting the licences, and has sought an explanation from the official over the decision.

The controversy concerns two FL-7 licences granted on June 22 for the domestic lounge at Cochin International Airport.

The licences were issued even though the government had made it clear that such permissions should be considered only after the new liquor policy was finalised.

The minister said the government had returned the file with instructions to wait for the new policy.

However, the Commissioner went ahead with the clearances under the existing rules.

Liju said the Commissioner might not have been fully familiar with the government’s position during his initial days in office.

But he maintained that the government should have been kept informed about such important decisions.

He said the present rules allowed officials at lower levels to take decisions without informing the government.

These provisions were introduced by the previous LDF government and needed to be reviewed, he added.

The minister said the government would issue a formal order making it mandatory to wait for the new liquor policy before granting such licences.

Legal advice was also being sought on the licences already issued.

The controversy follows the earlier suspension of two Deputy Excise Commissioners over the conversion of three beer and wine parlours in Muvattupuzha, Kochi, and Pala into full-fledged bars.

The government found lapses during its examination of the matter.

The suspended officials subsequently approached the tribunal, where details relating to the airport lounge licences also came to light.

Taking aim at Rajesh, Liju said he was unhappy with the former minister’s approach to liquor licensing.

“Rajesh was satisfied when liquor flowed across the state. I am not,” he said, adding that he was also unhappy with the rules framed by Rajesh and his predecessors.

The minister said strict action had been taken when corruption allegations surfaced, but the wider issue of expanding bar licences also needed serious examination.

–IANS

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