Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Minister for Excise T P Ramakrishnan has said that pubs can be opened in the state after paying a licence fee of Rs 50,000 as per the provisions in the existing rules.
"Pub, beer parlour licences can be given to beverages corporation, joint sector hotels, including the KTDC, on remittance of Rs 50,000 licence fee, as per the Kerala Foreign Liquor Rules 13(13). IT/tourist sectors have made requests for starting pubs," the minister said in the Kerala Assembly, while replying to a question on whether permission would be granted for opening pubs in the state.
However, the minister clarified that no decision was made on starting casinos along the coastal areas.
The minister also said that the Beverages Corporation has asked the government to re-open the outlets that were shut or licence cancelled. Currently, there are 270-odd outlets.
‘No decline in alcohol consumption’
Minister Ramakrishnan also said that though the bars were shut down during the tenure of the previous United Democratic Front (UDF) government, the alcohol consumption has not reduced. When the sale records of 42 months during the UDF tenure and the current government is compared, only a difference of 29.62 lakh case of foreign liquor and 3.57 lakh case beer were found.
