Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala cabinet has approved the new liquor policy that extends the operating time of bars in tourist zones by an hour. Now, bars that used to remain open from 11 am to 11 pm will close only at 12 midnight.

The rule is not applicable to bars in other areas. The new liquor policy will come into force from April 2. Foreign-made liquor will now be available through Beverages Corporation (Bevco), Consumerfed and other retail outlets.

There will be no change in the norms regulating sales in toddy shops until the toddy board is set up or for the next three years (whichever comes first). Restrictions have been proposed for plastic liquor bottles with manufacturers being told to shift to glass bottles gradually.

The partnership fees for bars above the three-star category will now be same as that of 5-star ones. In non-star bars run by joint owners, the fee to remove one person from partnership was Rs 2 lakh and to bring in a new partner was Rs 20 lakh. For 3-star bars, the fee was Rs 2 lakh for both adding and removing partners. This will be charged at a uniform rate of Rs 2 lakh.

The abkari rules for this fiscal will be continued in the next fiscal too with some amendments. The policy also states that there will be no increase in the number of Bevco or Consumerfed outlets.

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