Liquor worth Rs 125.6 cr was sold on New Year's Eve in Kerala.
Credit: X/@GreatKerala1
Thiruvananthapuram: The back to pro-liquor measures by the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala is raising questions over its stated abstinence policy.
The last pro-liquor promotion moves that have come under criticism are allowing bars to function until 12 mid-night on December 31 in view of the New Year celebrations as well as to hold a contest to name a new brandy that a state government agency is bringing out.
While there were only 29 bars in the state when the LDF came to power in 2016, now it is 804.
Normally bars are allowed to function till 11 pm only. Considering the request of bar owners, the state government allowed bars to function till 12 mid night on December 31.
The move triggered concerns among the anti-liquor activists that it could serve as a precedent for seeking similar relaxations during other festival seasons like Onam.
The Kerala State Beverages Corporation (BEVCO) initiated a contest to suggest a name and logo for a brady to be brought out from one of its distilleries.
Various anti-liquor forums like the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council's temperance commission came out against the state government for steps that promote liquor.
Subsequently excise minister M B Rajesh stated that the state government had no involvement in the decision of the beverages corporation to hold the contest.
Earlier this year, the state government notified 74 regions across the state as tourist centres where beer parlours could be allowed.
The Congress government led by Oommen Chandy from 2011-16 had decided to restrict bars only to five star hotels as part of its phased-prohibition policy.
As a result the number of bars came down to 29 from around 700, which too invited strong criticism from various quarters.
The LDF government led by Pinarayi Vijayan that came to power in 2016 announced the abstinence policy doing away with the Congress's prohibition policy. This led to the reopening of the shut bars as well as opening of new ones.
Even as it triggered allegations of being too liberal, the state government's justification is that bar licences are being allowed by strictly following the laid down norms.
Liquor worth Rs. 125.6 cr sold on New Year's Eve
Liquor to the tune of Rs. 125.6 crore was sold out in Kerala on December 31. It is 15.5 per cent higher than the liquor sale on December 31, 2024.
The total volume of sales during the New Year Eve was 2.07 lakh cases which was 12.5 percent higher than the sale during the last new year eve.