In keenly awaited changes to the liquor policy, the State Cabinet has decided to dispense with the observance of Sundays as dry days.
A special meeting of the Cabinet took the decision reportedly after being appraised of the damage certain provisions of the policy had done to the tourism as also potential loss of revenue.
Bar owners will now be required to re-engage lakhs of workers who had lost their livelihood after the new policy was announced, aimed at total prohibition in phases.
All 412 bars functioning as on March 31 will now be granted beer and wine parlour licences. Business hours at bars will be reduced by two hours. Valid timings henceforth will be between 9 am to 10 pm.
The Cabinet is reported to have witnessed sharp exchanges between members with the largest coalition partner Muslim League taking strong exception to the grant of new beer and wine parlour licences.
Today’s meeting was in continuum to a high-level session of the Congress-led United Democratic Front that authorised the government to make ‘practical changes’ to the controversial liquor policy.
In doing so, it had ignored strong protests from VM Sudheeran, President of State Congress unit, who insisted that status quo be maintained.