The Kerala government on Friday transferred Excise Commissioner Seeram Sambasiva Rao from his post, days after Excise Minister M Liju publicly expressed disapproval of bar licences granted for a lounge at the Kochi airport without the government's knowledge. An Additional Excise Commissioner has been appointed in his place, The Hindu reported. Rao had taken charge as Excise Commissioner in June 2026.

Source: The Hindu via Tech Word News

Officials said the transfer came amid the government's dissatisfaction with department officials issuing bar and horti-wine licences, PTI reported. The minister has described the transfer as a routine procedure, even as it follows his public criticism of the licensing decisions earlier this week.

The row, reported earlier this week, centres on two FL-7 licences for airport transit lounges granted at Cochin International Airport on June 22 this year. Liju has alleged that the Excise Commissioner granted both licences without informing the government, although such permissions were to be considered only after the new liquor policy was finalised.

According to the minister, another application was later referred to the government, and the Additional Chief Secretary directed on August 4 that no decision be taken until the UDF government's liquor policy was announced. Despite that direction, he said, the Commissioner completed proceedings on another FL-7 application at the airport on October 12, after which the government sought an urgent report from the officer, stopped the proceedings and directed that no licence be issued.

Source: PTI via Reporter World News

In a Facebook post on Thursday night, Liju said a detailed examination would be conducted into 488 bar licences granted during the tenure of the previous LDF governments, and action would be taken if any irregularities were found. He said 410 hotels received bar licences during the first LDF government and another 78 during its second term under a rule amendment introduced on June 23, 2017, which allowed establishments that had lost their licences in 2014 and later operated as beer and wine parlours to apply afresh.

The minister said the government would withdraw the authority given to Deputy Excise Commissioners to grant new FL-3 foreign liquor licences under the provision of renewal, arguing that what had happened was the restoration of licences lost 10 to 12 years ago, not ordinary annual renewal. He was responding to CPI(M) leader and former Excise Minister M B Rajesh, who had criticised the action against officials and demanded an apology; Liju said Rajesh should instead apologise to the public. An Excise Deputy Commissioner who took a decision contrary to government policy was earlier removed, and two other Deputy Commissioners were suspended, the minister said.

Chief Minister VD Satheesan said on Wednesday that no bar licence would be issued without the government's knowledge. The new excise policy is expected by the end of November, and the detailed examination of the 488 licences is the next step in the row.