The Kerala High Court on Friday set aside a state government order permitting the establishment of a liquor plant in Elappully village of Palakkad district.
A Division Bench comprising Justices Sathish Ninan and P. Krishna Kumar passed the order while allowing a batch of petitions challenging the government’s decision. The court’s ruling was confirmed by a government lawyer associated with the matter.
The detailed order, including the reasons for setting aside the government approval, is awaited.
The impugned order had its origin in a January decision of the state cabinet, which approved a proposal submitted by Oasis Commercial Pvt Ltd to set up a liquor plant in Elappully village. The approval was granted subject to compliance with existing guidelines and conditions.
The project, however, faced strong opposition at the local level. The Elappully panchayat had objected to the proposed plant, contending that the setting up of a brewery would have an adverse impact on the environment and agriculture in the village and in surrounding areas within a radius of 15 kilometres.
With the High Court now setting aside the government order, the clearance granted for the proposed liquor plant stands nullified, pending further directions or a detailed examination once the court’s full reasoning is made public.
