Brewery row: UDF will not allow plant in Palakkad, says Congress leader

Thiruvananthapuram: Strongly criticising the state cabinet's decision to permit a brewery project in Palakkad, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan on Thursday stated that the Congress-led UDF will not allow its establishment under any circumstances.

Addressing a press conference, the Congress leader said the UDF strongly opposes the cabinet’s decision and registered its protest.

His statement comes a day after a meeting of the ruling LDF partners reportedly gave their nod to the project at Elappully in Palakkad.

Taking a dig at the CPI, which initially raised a banner of protest against the project, Satheesan said, "This time, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan went to the CPI headquarters to insult them."

"Usually he summons them (CPI leaders) to the AKG Centre (CPI(M) state headquarters) and does the same. The CPI has now become a party without a stance," he remarked.

The ruling LDF meeting was held at the CPI headquarters in the state capital, amid opposition from Left allies CPI and RJD to the brewery project, who later backtracked from their stance.

Satheesan alleged that the Chief Minister and the Excise Minister imposed their decision on their allies.

He also criticised the manner in which the Oasis Commercial received approval for setting up the brewery claiming the process lacked transparency.

"The company has a shady background—it was involved in the Delhi liquor scam and was found guilty of polluting underground water within a four-kilometre radius of its operations in Punjab," he alleged.

Highlighting Palakkad’s severe water scarcity, Satheesan said that the Malampuzha dam is nearly dry, as recent visuals from its catchment area indicate.

"Oasis Commercial has not yet disclosed how much water it requires. This crucial detail is missing even from the application submitted to the government," he said.

The LoP said a brewery of this scale would require 80 MLD of water daily to operate.

"While the government claims that the water will be sourced through rainwater storage, only 1 lakh MLD can be collected annually through this method—barely enough to meet a day's requirement," he said.

Satheesan claimed that the brewery's operation would pose a serious threat to the region's underground water resources.

He also said that the salaries of chairman and members of Kerala Public Service Commission were increased but the government ignored the demand of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers who are on strike in the state capital demanding the payment of their salary arrears.

Accusing the government of neglecting those in need, Satheesan demanded that the increased salary of KPSC members be rolled back.

He also stated that he was open to debating with the Chief Minister on these issues.

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala also alleged that the decision to approve the brewery plant could be seen as a direct challenge to the people.

Addressing the media in Palakkad, he accused the CPI(M) of treating the Excise Department as a cash cow.

"There was a massive corruption in granting permission to Oasis Commercial, a company involved in the Delhi liquor policy scam," he alleged.

A recent LDF meeting has reportedly decided to allow the private company to set up a brewery plant in Palakkad's Elappully.