Bar Licences of Hotels Without Star Rating Will Not Be Renewed, Says Minister

Kerala Excise Minister M Liju announced on Monday that bar licences of hotels whose applications for star classification have been rejected by the Union Ministry of Tourism will not be renewed. The minister further stated that the state government will adopt the same stance in cases currently pending in the High Court.

Replying to questions regarding certain hotels that have been granted bar licences while their star classification applications are still pending with the Union Ministry, the minister provided these details. He explained that star classification is mandatory for the renewal of bar licences and this classification is granted by the Union Ministry of Tourism.

Liju stated that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the processing of star classification applications was delayed, which compelled the state government to renew bar licences with the approval of the state tourism department. He has instructed officials to obtain a list of hotels whose star classification applications have been rejected by the Union Ministry of Tourism.

The minister said, "The applicant cannot be held responsible for the delay in processing the application. However, if the Union Ministry of Tourism has rejected the application, it must be taken seriously." The Tax Secretary has informed him that the necessary information from the Union Ministry of Tourism is still awaited. The minister added that the government does not yet have complete details of the hotels whose applications have been rejected.

Liju stated that he has examined the affidavit filed by the government in the High Court and understands that the same stand will be presented before the court. He clarified that the government has no responsibility to renew the bar licences of hotels whose star classification applications have been rejected. The government will take a decision after receiving the details.

The previous government had taken the stance that if the Union Ministry of Tourism could not process applications within the stipulated time due to its workload, hotels should not be forced to shut down for that reason alone. The Union Ministry has also informed the state government that it is facing difficulties in completing the star classification process on time.

Kerala Excise Minister M Liju functions as the head of the state excise department and is responsible for the implementation of excise rules and licensing procedures in the state.