Liquor policy amendments: Director goes on long leave after tourism department plans to make changes

Thiruvananthapuram: Director of Tourism, P B Nooh has taken a three-month leave stating personal reasons after the Tourism Department attempted to propose changes in the controversial liquor policy, overtaking the Excise Department. Nooh had applied for leave on April 22 and it was granted on May 3. On May 21, the authority was passed on to KTDC Managing Director Shikha Surendran, who then convened a meeting with bar owners. The main agenda included in the meeting was the changes in the liquor policy, which is being severely criticised by the opposition, now. 

A meeting convened by the Chief Secretary on March 1 discussed various modifications to the liquor industry. Though ministers deny that during the meeting lifting the liquor ban was discussed, minutes of the secretaries' meeting indicate otherwise. It is also discussed that the state's practice of observing the first day of every month as a dry day, resulting in 12 dry days in a year, may exclude the state from hosting tourism, national, and international conferences. Based on this, the tourism department was asked to submit a note after consulting with the relevant parties regarding this matter.

Following the decisions made in the meeting, the tourism department began drafting proposals to amend the liquor policy. Meanwhile, the Tourism Director went on leave. This issue added to the other disagreements that the department had with the minister's office.

There are reports of a high-level meeting being held in the Excise Department on May 22, but there is no confirmation regarding this.

Although a meeting with bar owners and the Excise department was planned for June 10 to introduce a new liquor policy in the upcoming assembly session. As the allegations surfaced, this meeting became uncertain. 

In a meeting of bar owners held in Ernakulam on May 23, it was reported that there were discussions about collecting Rs. 2,50,000 from each bar owner to secure a favorable outcome from the officials. The Bar Owner Association's vice president highlighted this matter in the members' WhatsApp group, suggesting that financial dealings could resolve the issue even before discussing it with the minister.

Contrary to the ministers' claim of being unaware of the meeting, officials had already decided the agenda. This can only be decided based on the administrative leadership's direction in the meeting called by the Chief Secretary.

The agenda of a meeting, which includes the policies of the government,  attended by  higher officials of the government,  would be fixed only with the knowledge and consent of the leaders of the government. It is quite clear that since the subject of liquor policy  was included in the agenda of the meeting convened by chief secretary , it  could only be done with the consent of the leadership.