- Joined
- Sep 23, 2007
- Messages
- 3,651
- Points
- 0
Kerala to close down 700 bars, Sundays to be dry days : India, News - India Today
The ruling Congress-led UDF in Kerala on Thursday decided to shut down over 700 liquor bars attached to hotels below the five-star categories besides making Sundays "dry days."
The decision, taken in a meeting of the UDF leadership presided by chief minister Oommen Chandy, also marked the resolution of the long-drawn feud in the state unit of the Congress and the coalition over the question of renewing licences of 418 bars which were found to be lacking in quality.
The decisions will be formally recommended to the Chandy Cabinet to act upon.
The UDF leadership had earlier resolved to take firm measures to bring down availability of liquor to the common man and take the state to its goal of "total prohibition" in a phased manner.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Chandy said the 418 bars which had been lying closed since April this year would not be re-opened.
Also, another 312 bars will be closed down, subject to legal advice.
In case, there were some legal hitches in shutting them immediately, they would not be allowed to run business from the next financial year.
The decision would mean that only five-star hotels will have bars, Chandy said.
Regarding the retail sales through the outlets of state Beverages Corporation, the number of such outlets would be wound up by 10 per cent every year.
Apart from the existing dry days, which include the first day of every month, all Sundays would be dry days in the state, taking the total liquor holidays to a minimum of 52 a year, it was decided in the meeting.
The question of renewing licences of closed bars had created sharp divisions in the Congress in the state.
Ever since he took over the state unit, KPCC President V M Sudheeran had stood firmly against renewing licences to 418 bars temporarily closed on the basis of CAG reference on lack of proper amenities.
However, a section in the Congress was of the view that the government should adopt a more practical line on the issue by giving time to the bar owners to upgrade the facilities.
The key UDF partner Indian Union Muslim League also came out supporting the policy of reducing the availability of liquor.
The meet also decided to take up a massive anti-liquor campaign in the state for which one per cent of the sale turnover of the Beverages Corporation would be utilised.
After the ban on arrack by the then AK Antony Ministry two decades ago, the Beverages Corporation has been the sole sales agency for Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).
Read more at: Kerala to close down 700 bars, Sundays to be dry days : India, News - India Today
===================
Kerala, one of the highest consumers of alcohol, to bid goodbye to booze - The Economic Times
Kerala, one of the highest consumers of alcohol, to bid goodbye to booze
By ET Bureau | 21 Aug, 2014, 06.17PM IST
92 comments |Post a Comment
KOCHI: Kerala, which has one of the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in the country, is bidding bye to booze.
State chief minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday said Kerala will allow only 5-star hotels to serve liquor from April1, 2015, with every Sunday as dry days.
Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) will close down 10 % of its outlets every year. Bevco has 338 outlets while the Consumerfed has 46 outlets.
It has been decided not to reopen the 418 liquor ..
Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
The ruling Congress-led UDF in Kerala on Thursday decided to shut down over 700 liquor bars attached to hotels below the five-star categories besides making Sundays "dry days."
The decision, taken in a meeting of the UDF leadership presided by chief minister Oommen Chandy, also marked the resolution of the long-drawn feud in the state unit of the Congress and the coalition over the question of renewing licences of 418 bars which were found to be lacking in quality.
The decisions will be formally recommended to the Chandy Cabinet to act upon.
The UDF leadership had earlier resolved to take firm measures to bring down availability of liquor to the common man and take the state to its goal of "total prohibition" in a phased manner.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Chandy said the 418 bars which had been lying closed since April this year would not be re-opened.
Also, another 312 bars will be closed down, subject to legal advice.
In case, there were some legal hitches in shutting them immediately, they would not be allowed to run business from the next financial year.
The decision would mean that only five-star hotels will have bars, Chandy said.
Regarding the retail sales through the outlets of state Beverages Corporation, the number of such outlets would be wound up by 10 per cent every year.
Apart from the existing dry days, which include the first day of every month, all Sundays would be dry days in the state, taking the total liquor holidays to a minimum of 52 a year, it was decided in the meeting.
The question of renewing licences of closed bars had created sharp divisions in the Congress in the state.
Ever since he took over the state unit, KPCC President V M Sudheeran had stood firmly against renewing licences to 418 bars temporarily closed on the basis of CAG reference on lack of proper amenities.
However, a section in the Congress was of the view that the government should adopt a more practical line on the issue by giving time to the bar owners to upgrade the facilities.
The key UDF partner Indian Union Muslim League also came out supporting the policy of reducing the availability of liquor.
The meet also decided to take up a massive anti-liquor campaign in the state for which one per cent of the sale turnover of the Beverages Corporation would be utilised.
After the ban on arrack by the then AK Antony Ministry two decades ago, the Beverages Corporation has been the sole sales agency for Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).
Read more at: Kerala to close down 700 bars, Sundays to be dry days : India, News - India Today
===================
Kerala, one of the highest consumers of alcohol, to bid goodbye to booze - The Economic Times
Kerala, one of the highest consumers of alcohol, to bid goodbye to booze
By ET Bureau | 21 Aug, 2014, 06.17PM IST
92 comments |Post a Comment
KOCHI: Kerala, which has one of the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in the country, is bidding bye to booze.
State chief minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday said Kerala will allow only 5-star hotels to serve liquor from April1, 2015, with every Sunday as dry days.
Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) will close down 10 % of its outlets every year. Bevco has 338 outlets while the Consumerfed has 46 outlets.
It has been decided not to reopen the 418 liquor ..
Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
