From 29 bars under Oommen Chandy to 884 under Pinarayi – what drove Kerala’s liquor boom?

Thiruvananthapuram: When the Oommen Chandy government vacated office, Kerala had just 29 bars. Nine and a half years later, that number has surged to 884.

The first Pinarayi government, which came to power with a stated aim of promoting abstinence rather than outright prohibition, initially reduced bar operating hours by half an hour, limiting them to 12 hours—from 11 am to 11 pm—in an effort to curb alcohol consumption. It also allowed all three-star hotels with licences to operate bars.

At the end of the Oommen Chandy administration, there were 29 bars and 813 beer-and-wine parlours. The first Pinarayi government’s liquor policy overhaul reopened 462 bars that had been closed by the UDF government, in addition to granting licences for 200 new bars. By the end of its tenure, total bars under the first Pinarayi government had risen to 662.

Relaxations in the liquor policy

The 2018-19 liquor policy further altered bar timings to attract tourists. In 14 tourist destinations, bars were permitted to operate from 10 am to midnight. Since then, all concessions given to bars have largely been linked to the tourism sector. Suggestions to remove “Dry Days” and extend bar timings were also made in this context.

The liquor policy was further relaxed by including 74 additional tourist centres alongside the original 14 as of January 2015. This meant fluctuating working hours in bars. The current extension of bar timings is being justified as a way to standardise these hours.

However, attempts to expand domestic production faced hurdles. The first Pinarayi government initially allowed paper companies to establish distilleries and breweries, but approvals were revoked after controversy. The second Pinarayi government later introduced provisions to increase domestic liquor production. A notable setback came when Oasis Company was granted permission to manufacture liquor in a water-scarce area, only for the High Court to cancel the approval.

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Under the second Pinarayi government, 142 new bars were added, bringing the total number of bars in the state to 884.

Summary of Bar Growth in Kerala

Oommen Chandy Government: 29 bars on vacating office

First Pinarayi Government: 200 new bars, total 662

Second Pinarayi Government: 142 new bars, total 884