Kerala High Court Disposes PIL On Bar Timings After Stakeholder Meet Resolves Labour Concerns

The Kerala High Court has disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging recent amendments to liquor regulations affecting bar hotel working hours, after noting that the concerns raised had been substantially addressed through a government led stakeholder consultation.A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. was hearing a petition filed by the All Kerala Bar Hotels & Restaurant Employees Association (CITU). The petitioners contested a government notification amending provisions under the Abkari Act and the Foreign Liquor Rules, which altered the operating hours of bar hotels in the state.The petitioner argued that the revised working hours violated labour welfare laws, including the Minimum Wages Act and other labour statutes regulating working time. It also contended that the changes were contrary to constitutional directives under Articles 47 and 48, which relate to public health and state policy.During earlier proceedings, the High Court had directed the State Government to convene a meeting of stakeholders to resolve the dispute. The government subsequently submitted minutes of the meeting, confirming participation from all concerned parties.The minutes of the meeting included the introduction of a flexible working hours system for bar hotels, allowing licensees to choose between shifts within an overall window of 8:00 AM to 12:00 midnight. The stakeholders also agreed on strict enforcement of labour protections, including statutory wages and overtime pay for employees working beyond prescribed hours.Additionally, the meeting proposed extending the operational hours of beverage outlets from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM as a measure to curb illicit liquor sales.The State informed the Court that directions had already been issued to the Labour Department to ensure compliance with labour laws.Taking note of these developments, the Bench observed that the grievances raised in the PIL had been substantially redressed.“In view of the above developments, we see no reason to keep this W.P.(PIL) pending,” the Court noted. The Court thus disposed of the petition. Case Title: All Kerala Bar Hotels & Restaurant Employees Association (CITU) v State of Kerala and Ors. Case No: WP(PIL) 42/ 2026Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 200Counsel for Petitioner: B.N Hashkar, B.K.Gopalakrishnan, Krishnakumar.S, Nikitha P., Roshith RoshanCounsel for Respondents: Radhakrishnan R., B.V. Balakrishnan, Sreelakshmi P.R., Lattisha Theresa Thomas, Christil ShajiClick Here To Read/ Download Judgment

Kerala High Court Disposes PIL On Bar Timings After Stakeholder Meet Resolves Labour Concerns

Anamika MJ

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