The restrictions imposed for people to enter shops, markets, public and private offices and other establishments are also applicable to those entering bars and liquor outlets, the Excise Department has submitted before the Kerala High Court.
Only those customers who had taken at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine two weeks ago or those possessing an RT-PCR-negative certificate, which was taken within 72 hours, will be allowed in to bars and liquor outlets, submitted the Excise Commissioner to the Kerala High Court in a contempt of court petition.
Directions were issued to the Managing Director of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation and the Consumerfed, the Joint Excise Commissioners, the Deputy Excise Commissioners and the Assistant Excise Commissioners for strict compliance of the safety protocols, he submitted.
Crowd control
The Excise Department submitted that specific instructions were issued to the officers concerned to ensure that the employees as well as the consumers were complying with the COVID-19 safety measures suggested by the State government as well as the Health Department. It was specifically directed to deploy excise personnel in front of the outlets to control crowding of customers. Directions were issued to sanitise and disinfect the shop premises before beginning and closing the business. The officials were also directed to identify the outlets where there could be possible crowding and to seek police aid for crowd control, he submitted.
Shifting of outlets
An audit team has suggested shifting 96 liquor outlets from the present locations. It will take some time to find out convenient locations and spacious buildings for shifting the shops following the conditions laid down in the Kerala Abkari Shops Disposal Rules, the official submitted.
The court, while considering the case, orally observed that those outlets where crowd could not be controlled should be closed down. The customers should be provided with adequate facilities for purchasing liquor and they could not be exposed to the pandemic, the court noted.
The government pleader submitted that the Division Bench of the Kerala High Court headed by the Chief Justice was also considering a suo moto petition in the matter.
The single judge posted the case for September 2.
