Keralam Excise dept. bans issuance of new liquor licences until promulgation of Keralam govt.’s liquor policy

The Excise department has banned the issuance of new liquor licences, including for bars and wine and beer parlours, till the United Democratic Front (UDF) government promulgates its alcohol policy for the 2026-27 fiscal year on November 30. Additional Excise Commissioner (Enforcement) R Jayasankar, who holds the charge of Excise Commissioner, barred Deputy Commissioners from issuing new bar licences, including permits for beer and wine parlours that have acquired four-star hotel classification, to sell hard spirits. The circular comes on the heels of the government shifting Sreeram Samabasiva Rao from the Excise Commissioner’s post in the wake of a political row over the department’s “hasty” reclassification of a few bars and beer parlours as bars and the almost “instantaneous” approval to private players to open lounge bars at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL). The government had cancelled the renewed licences, including for the lounge bars.Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Excise Minister M. Liju had accused the Excise department of jumping the gun and blindsiding the government by granting licences before the UDF finalised its liquor policy. Mr. Liju also signalled that the government would reverse the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) dispensation decision to vest the authority to grant licences with Excise Deputy Commissioners and mandate ministerial sanction for granting fresh alcohol permits. Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretariat member and former Excise Minister M.B. Rajesh pushed back, saying the Oommen Chandy government had empowered Deputy Excise Commissioners to sanction liquor licences and the LDF had not issued a single bar licence without ministerial consent. The ruling alliance also seemed edgy that the expeditious issuance of bar licences might incense the UDF’s prohibitionist base comprising powerful Christian and Muslim social organisations. Moreover, the UDF government was also miffed that the issuance of bar licences appeared starkly selective, given that 29 applications were pending disposal in the Excise department. Notably, the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama (Kanthapuram AP faction) had condemned the granting of licences and accused the Excise eepartment of acting behind the government’s back. Excise department officials said the government had put 29 bar license applications from four-star hotels on hold for now. Published - November 09, 2026 07:13 pm IST