Thiruvananthapuram/Thrissur | Kerala Excise Minister M B Rajesh on Wednesday defended the government's decision to extend the timings of bars across the state, saying that it was already in effect in tourist destinations and was made applicable to everyone to address complaints of discrimination.

Rajesh said that the state charges Rs 35 lakh as license fees from bars across Kerala irrespective of whether they are located in tourist destinations or other places.

But, only the bars in tourist destinations were allowed to operate from 10 am to midnight, leading to complaints of discrimination and demands for bringing uniformity in the timings, the minister told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

He said that the government also took into consideration the fact that bar timings were longer in the neighbouring states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh while the license fees there were much less than in Kerala.

"So, taking all that into account, the timings were made uniform across the state. There is nothing new about it," he said.

Rajesh also claimed that the opposition was aware in advance about the decision and had indicated that it was in favour of it.

The minister also said that the decision actually got delayed and not very quickly as claimed by Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan.

Regarding the opposition of the various Christian churches to the decision, Rajesh said, "Let us see how far it will go and who will say what." When he was told by reporters that the Catholic Church had allegedly termed it as a "deal before the elections", Rajesh said that it was not possible they would say that.

"They may not have said it about the government. They cannot say that about us," he asserted.

Earlier in the day, the LDF government's decision to change the timings of bars in the state was opposed by the Malankara Orthodox Church, which claimed it would destroy an entire generation, especially the youth of Kerala.

Advocate Biju Oommen, association secretary of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, criticised the government's decision, saying that it would destroy a whole generation, especially the youth of the state.

"Does the government want the youth to sleep in the bars? People in the state are apprehensive of what would be the result of allowing bars to remain open so long," he said while speaking to reporters here.

Oommen further contended that the government was "disregarding the tears of mothers for the needs of bar owners" and questioned -- "Is there no other way to fill the state's coffers".

Supporting the decision, LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan said it was not something new as these timings were in force in tourist destinations.

Ramakrishnan told reporters it was not a new policy, but a decision taken much earlier by the government.

He also said that he does not believe there is anything wrong with the change in timings.

The LDF convener said that Kerala was a state where the number of tourists was increasing day-by-day and therefore, such facilities were necessary.

If there are any issues regarding it, discussions will be held at the government level and more clarifications will be issued, if required, he said.

Ramakrishnan contended that the decision to change the timings was not taken based on the demands of private bars' associations.

The Congress-led UDF opposition, on the other hand, said there was something "mysterious" behind the decision being taken so close to the upcoming assembly elections.

Satheesan said that before taking the decision, it ought to have been discussed in detail in the cabinet.

"The decision to bring uniformity in the timings of bars across the state needs to be seriously examined by the cabinet," he told reporters in Thrissur.

There needs to be clarity on whether it is intended to boost night life in tourist destinations or if it is being implemented across the board.

Satheesan also said that more than 1,000 bars have been allowed in the state in the last 10 years.

"The availability of liquor in such huge amounts across the state will adversely affect Kerala. We have been saying so for a long time. The Left had said that they would bring down alcohol consumption, but after they came to power they increased the number of bars in the state to more than 1,000," he contended and said there was "no sincerity" in the statements by the Left front.

Meanwhile, the National Resource Centre for non-communicable diseases -- an initiative of the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC)-India -- condemned the government decision taken "under the pretext of promoting tourism", saying that it was a "regressive and deeply irresponsible policy".

In a statement, it contended that the government's decision was "a threat to society, public health and the future of the youth".

"It is deeply concerning that the present Kerala government, since its inception, has repeatedly taken steps that appear to promote alcohol availability in the state in various ways that favour the liquor industry, rather than prioritising public health and social welfare. We urge the Kerala government to revoke this decision immediately...," Johnson J Edayaranmula, its executive director, said in the statement.