KOCHI: The UDF government will bring in a comprehensive liquor policy in five to six months after taking into account the recommendations of all concerned, including that of the allies even as the government has decided to move forward with the present liquor policy adopted by it. Excise Minister K Babu told ‘Express’ that a comprehensive liquor policy would be in shape in five to six months. “As of now the new liquor policy of the UDF government has not been freezed. The government will go forward with the same policy and in the next five to six months, we would come out with a comprehensive policy,” he said. On the UDF’s recommendation that the local bodies should be given the power to sanction liquor vends, Babu said all the recommendations would be addressed in the coming days. It was the Indian Union Muslim League that had publicly opined that the power to issue licences to liquor shops should be given to panchayats. Babu noted that the government would discuss the policy threadbare and would come out with all transparency with the policy. The UDF had on Tuesday constituted a liaison committee headed by M M Hassan to study the liquor policy in detail. The panel would be looking into the practical difficulties when the power of allotting bars is transferred to local bodies. The Political Affairs Committee of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee has suggested several changes to the liquor policy. It was of the firm view that local bodies be given the powers to sanction bars and liquor outlets. The KPCC wanted an amendment to the time that bars remained open, besides stricter regulations on opening new bars.
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