Kottayam (Kerala), February 19 Chairman of the Kerala Congress (M), Jose K Mani, said on Thursday that the change in bar timings in the state was not a new development, but rather a "streamlining" of the existing liquor policy.
Speaking to reporters here, Mani said that the streamlining was carried out in response to complaints of discrimination between bars in tourist destinations and those in other locations.
Bars in tourist destinations could operate from 10 am to midnight, while those in other locations functioned from 11 am to 11 pm.
"Therefore, only a streamlining has been carried out," said the chairman of the Kerala Congress (M), a constituent of the ruling LDF.
State Excise Minister M B Rajesh had also taken a similar stance a day earlier, defending the changed timings.
Rajesh had said that the extended timings were already in effect in tourist destinations and were being made applicable to everyone to address complaints of discrimination.
Mani also welcomed the government's decision, made a day earlier, to regularize nearly 20,000 teachers working in aided schools, subject to the final outcome of pending cases before the Supreme Court.
Kerala's Minister of General Education, V Sivankutty, had said on Wednesday that the move aimed to resolve long-standing legal complexities related to the implementation of reservation for persons with disabilities and the approval of teacher appointments in state-run schools.
Mani said that the regularisation would be carried out immediately.
The Left government's current decision carries political significance in poll-bound Kerala, as the issue recently triggered protests by various school management bodies, including Christian organizations, who accused the government of blocking appointments for general category candidates under the pretext of implementing court directives.