Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Thursday, Oct 14, 2004
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Thursday, Oct 14, 2004 |
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Government
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Policy Industry & Economy - Tourism Kerala Cabinet approves new Abkari policy — Luxury boats eligible for liquor licence Our Bureau
Thiruvananthapuram , Oct. 13 LUXURY boats in the tourism sector in the State with an investment of over Rs 1 crore will now be eligible for grant of beer/wine licence. An announcement to this effect has been made in the new Abkari policy for 2004-05 approved by the State Cabinet here on Wednesday. Luxury boats of and above an investment of Rs 5 crore will be eligible for sanction of the FL3 bar licence and FL11 beer/ wine licence. In another decision, the new policy annulled the present rule under the Abkari Act that stipulates that foreign liquor/ toddy shops shall remain closed on the first day of the calendar month. FL3 bar and FL11 beer/ wine parlour licences will now be extended to two-star classified hotels also. They will be granted to qualified and approved restaurants approved as such by the Department of Tourism. The number of fresh foreign liquor shops to be opened by the Kerala State Beverages Corporation and the Kerala State Co-operative Consumers' Federation (Consumerfed) during 2004-05 will be limited to 50. The annual rental for these will be fixed at a uniform rate of Rs 25 lakh per shop. These shops will not be allowed to operate within a radius of 200 metres from the exiting licensees. The slab-wise increase brought out in the FL3 bar licence fees during the current year will be dispensed with and a uniform rate of Rs 18 lakh per shop will be the applicable licence fee for 2004-2005. Fees under the various provisions of rules passed under the Abkari Act have been revised as follows: Annual rental for beer/wine parlour (FL11) will be enhanced from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. The licence fee for pub-beer parlour (FL13) will be enhanced from Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000. The fee for FL6 special licence will be fixed as Rs 10,000 per day. The fee for permit issued under Sections 6 and 7 of the Abkari Act will be enhanced from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for each permit. The fee for issuing no-objection certificates (NOC) under Sections 6 and 7 will be enhanced from Rs 50 to Rs 500 for each NOC. The fee for purchasing foreign-made foreign liquor directly from Customs will be enhanced from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. The fee for serving liquor at restaurants for persons other than residents will be fixed as Rs 10,000. All bar licences, including those of approved restaurants existing as on April 1, 2004, will be regularised. Rule 24 will be restored as it existed before, the policy document said. The Excise Department will introduce tinned toddy in the market. This apart, increase in fees has been effected in respect of various heads under Distillery and Warehousing Rules, 1968, and the Brewery Rules. Various fines prescribed under these rules have also been modified. This modification has been extended to foreign liquor rules, Rule 34 and Rule 34 (proviso). In respect of items not earned in the above note, the existing policy will continue, the Abkari policy clarified.
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