No Policy Change; Bar Timings Only Streamlined: Jose K Mani

Kottayam: Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K Mani on Thursday said the revised bar timings in Kerala are not a new liquor policy, but only a step to streamline existing rules and remove disparities among establishments.

Speaking to reporters, Jose K Mani said bars in notified tourist destinations were already allowed to function from 10 am to midnight, while those in other places operated from 11 am to 11 pm. The government’s decision, he said, simply makes the timings uniform across the state following complaints of discrimination from bar owners.

“The change is only a streamlining of existing rules,” Jose K Mani said, adding that the same operating hours are now being applied to all bars.

State Excise Minister M B Rajesh had also clarified that the move was aimed at ensuring uniformity, noting that extended timings were already in force in tourism centres and have now been standardised across Kerala.

Jose K Mani also welcomed the Kerala government’s decision to regularise nearly 20,000 aided school teachers, subject to the final verdict of the Supreme Court in pending cases. He said the move would help resolve long-standing issues faced by teachers and that the regularisation process would be implemented without delay.

General Education Minister V Sivankutty had earlier said the decision was intended to clear legal complexities linked to reservation for differently-abled persons and the approval of appointments in aided schools.