Kerala to act tough against bars that serve liquor to people below the legal age of 23, Excise Minister tells the Assembly
13 October 2026
Excise and Cooperation Minister M. Liju told the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Tuesday that the government will take stringent action against bars that serve liquor to people below the legal age of 23.
He was replying to a question by Ernakulam MLA T.J. Vinod, who pointed out that the Abkari Act prescribes 23 years as the minimum age for consuming liquor at a bar and that the rule is often broken.
The Minister said the Excise Department has registered cases against three bars after a fatal road crash at Nedumbassery near Kochi in which three young people died.
He said he had directed senior Excise officials to act immediately and that the department moved against the three establishments.
The government is considering additional guidelines to make age verification stricter and to penalise establishments that serve people below 23.
In plain words
Abkari Act — Kerala's liquor law, inherited from the princely states, that governs the making, sale and consumption of liquor.
Excise Department — The Kerala department that enforces the liquor and narcotics laws and collects duty on liquor.