THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Pubs and microbreweries will not come up anytime soon in the state. Keeping in mind the upcoming local body polls, the state cabinet, which met to approve the draft liquor policy, decided against the proposal to ward off a possible controversy. The new liquor policy will come into effect from April 1. The practice of observing dry day on the first day of every month will continue.
The auctioning of toddy shops, that was put on hold for the past three years, will be resumed till the proposed Toddy Board comes into existence. The cabinet also decided to legalise food served in toddy shops. The limit of toddy to be extracted from a coconut tree will be increased to two litres from the present 1.5 litres. The decision was taken on the basis of the recommendation of an expert committee.
Licence fee hiked
The cabinet also decided to revise the licence fee for serving liquor under various categories. As per the new liquor policy, bars will have to pay `30 lakh from the `28 lakh as licence fee. For clubs, the fee has been hiked from `15 lakh to `20 lakh. The licence fee for liquor shops at airport lounges has been doubled from `1 lakh to `2 lakh.
The new liquor policy also proposes doubling the fee in the distillery and warehousing category. For four such categories, the fee will be `4 lakh from the earlier `2 lakh. The fees prescribed under Brewery Rules 2007-08 will also be doubled. As directed by the High Court, fee won’t be levied from clubs when the office-bearers demit office. At present, 42 clubs in the state have FL-4 licence. At present, `2 lakh will have to be remitted once office-bearers change.
In case distilleries from outside Kerala produce liquor after entering into contracts with distilleries in the state, a fee of `2 lakh per distillery will be levied. This, after the Accountant General’s office pointed out that the state was facing import duty loss on account of such an arrangement. The cabinet also decided to amend rules to entrust appointments in Kerala Excise Workers Welfare Fund Board to the PSC.