Keralam to deny bar licence renewals to hotels without star classification

Keralam Excise Minister M Liju on Monday said bar licences would not be renewed for hotels whose applications for star classification had been rejected by the Union Tourism Ministry. The state government would also take the same stand before the Kerala High Court in cases pending before it, he said. He was speaking to reporters amid queries over bar licences being issued to some hotels whose applications for star classification were still pending before the Union Ministry. Explaining the issue, Liju said a star classification was mandatory for renewing bar licences and the classification was granted by the Union Tourism Ministry. However, since the Covid-19 pandemic, there had been delays in processing applications for star classification, forcing the state government to renew bar licences with the approval of the state Tourism Department, he said. The minister said he had directed officials to obtain a list of hotels whose applications for renewal of star classification had been