Oomen Chandy asks CPI-M to spell out its liquor policy

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 6: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday asked the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) to spell out its liquor policy and "stop playing hide and seek".

"This policy has been hanging fire and was being debated for so long. Even the Supreme Court has given our policy a clean chit, but the CPI-M, which was blaming us all the while, says they will spell their policy later," Chandy told reporters here.

"Why are they hesitant to spell out what their policy would be," he said.

Chandy was responding to Kerala CPI-M secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's statement on Tuesday that they have not decided on what would be their liquor policy as it has to be discussed in the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

Last month, the Supreme Court upheld the state policy to restrict service and consumption of liquor at bars only in five-star hotels.

Under the policy, the sale and consumption of liquor at the bars in non-five star hotels is prohibited and as a result, more than 700 bars, which were expected to open, have now been shut permanently.

IANS