Minister Moideen says UDF liquor policy affected tourism

Thiruvananthapuram: Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy government's liquor policy affected the tourism industry in the state, Tourism Minister A.C. Moideen said on Thursday.

“Liquor should be available at the bars located near tourism destinations. There has been a considerable decrease in the growth of tourism sector in the recent months,” Moideen said adding he had submitted a report in this regard to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

“Organizations and companies shift their meetings and conferences to other states that were once held in our state. This affects not only the tourism sector but also the hotel business and other commercial ventures.

“It doesn’t mean all the closed bars should be reopened. What is needed is to make liquor available at bars located near tourism centers,” the minister said.

The CPI-M leader had earlier called the UDF government’s liquor policy ‘confused one’.

"Who does not know that the UDF liquor policy was a 'hotchpotch one' and it was floated without any substance? It came out amid serious differences of opinion among Congress leaders," said Moideen.

Moideen, in a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Excise Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan, had said the policy required corrections on account of a drop in earnings.

Introduced by the UDF government, the strict policy saw a shutdown of about 700 liquor bars. Alcohol is now available only in about two dozen five star hotels.

The policy also saw the closing down of about 50 liquor retail outlets across the state.