Alappuzha: With the Kerala government permitting the sale of liquor alongside state and National Highways passing through grama panchayats with a population of 10,000 and above, only 12 panchayats in state would be ineligible for opening bars under this criterion.
The list prepared by the Excise Department based on the Election Commission data showed that as many as 929 panchayats in the state fell into this category.
The panchayats that failed to make the cut were: Malappattam (9,653), and Valapattanam (8,370) in Kannur, Nelliyampathy (8,370) in Palakkad, Athirappilly (9,969) in Thrissur, Pothanikkad (9,913) in Ernakulam, Vattavada (5,102) and Alakode (9,855) in Idukki, Thalanad (7,337) and Moonnilavu (9,065) in Kottayam, Perumbalam (9,678) and Muttar (9,864) in Alappuzha, and Thumpamon (8,160) in Pathanamthitta .
Being a tourist zone, Athirappilly grama panchayat already has a bar operating within its limits. There could also be demands for a fresh survey in areas where the population is close to the fixed 10,000 mark.
Meanwhile, the state government has dropped the move to shift Kerala State Beverages Corporation's (Bevco) outlets from interior areas to highways on the strength of the Supreme Court order following legal opinion that the judgement was applicable only to bars and toddy parlours.
Soon after the apex court granted states the liberty to determine allocation of liquor licences, the Bevco had started searching for buildings along State/National Highways in order to relocate its outlets from interior locations.
Currently, bar hotels function only in around 50 panchayats in the state. Kalady panchayat, with a total population of 27,216, has the maximum number of four bars while the neighbouring Nedumbassery panchayat has three bars operating within its limits.
Read more: Latest Kerala news
