The Kerala government on Wednesday, April 9, decided to relax restrictions on serving liquor on dry days, subject to certain conditions. The decision has been made to boost tourism. The Kerala cabinet approved the new liquor policy draft for the year 2025-26, which allows hotels ranked three-star and above to serve liquor for special occasions such as weddings or international conferences.
The dry day refers to days, are often observed during major events, national holidays, election periods, and special celebrations, when the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited, though consumption may still be allowed.
The liquor should only be served at the registered events, and the bars, including the state run Kerala State Beverages (Manufacturing & Marketing) Corporation Ltd (BEVCO) should be closed on these days.
To avail the relaxation, the hotels need to submit the details of the event in advance and should obtain approval from the Excise Commissioner. The bars attached to these hotels should close on dry days.
Further, the cabinet also decided to issue bar licenses to luxury cruises, which have five-star amenities, and permits to serve liquor.
There is no change in the annual bar licence fee, which will remain at Rs 35 lakh. Similarly, there will be no change in the distance limits for toddy shops, which should stay at least 400 meters away from places of worship and educational institutions. Previously, trade unions expressed concern about the distance limit for toddy shops, as more than 1000 toddy shops have closed due to this restriction.