Highway liquor ban: Kerala bar owners move SC seeking clarification

The applicants told the SC they were granted FL-11 licence in different categories by the Kerala excise department The bar owners claimed that after the apex court's order on April 1, the excise department "started threatening" them The applicants have sought a clarification from the court on whether its order applies to the service of beer and wine

Several bar owners in Kerala approached the Supreme Court on Wednesday, seeking clarification on its recent order to shut down liquor outlets within 500 metres of highways. 

The applicants told the SC they were granted FL-11 licence in different categories by the Kerala excise department, which were renewed on March 31 for a period of one year. The FL-11 licence pertains to the sale of beer and wine for consumption by public in a separate room in a beer and wine parlour. 

The bar owners claimed that after the apex court's order on April 1, the excise department "started threatening" them not to operate beer and wine parlours, which are situated within a distance of 150 metres to 350 metres from national and state highways. 

The applicants have sought a clarification from the court that its order does not apply to the service of beer and wine parlours as they serve material which contains alcohol below six and 12 per cent respectively. They said stocks worth in lakhs were lying in their shops and they would suffer financial losses if they were not allowed to sell them. 

The matter was mentioned before a vacation bench of Justices RK Agrawal and Deepak Gupta. The plea would be heard next month.

Meanwhile, the PWD on Wednesday submitted an affidavit in the Kerala High Court, saying that the Kannur-Kuttippuram road is a national highway and the department does not have any doubts regard it.

The affidavit counters the contention of the excise department. The excise and the state government had earlier informed the HC that the Kannur-Kuttippuram stretch is not a national highway.

(with PTI inputs)