<p>Thiruvananthapuram:<strong> </strong>Congress and BJP in Kerala have launched a stir against the decision of the CPM-led Left Democratic Front government to allow a distillery at Palakkad district.</p><p>Congress and BJP workers erected their respective party flags at the proposed site at Kanjikode in Palakkad on Sunday and said that the project will not be allowed.</p>.'Magic mushrooms not narcotic': Kerala High Court grants bail to petitioner held for possession of drugs.<p>Apart from alleging lack of transparency in allowing the Oasis group to start the distillery, the Opposition is raising concerns over ground water exploitation as the region is already facing acute water scarcity. There were also reports that a state public sector undertaking was earlier denied permission to scale up distillery business in the region citing water scarcity. </p><p>As the assembly session has begun, the Congress-led United Democratic Front will be "strongly" taking up the matter in the House.</p><p>The Cabinet decided to allow Rs 600 crore project of Oasis group to set up a grain-based distillery brewery unit at Kanjikode. The government claims that the decision was taken as per the state's liquor policy and "it will boost the state's agriculture sector too as crops of the state will be used as raw material".</p><p>Opposition leader V D Satheesan alleged that the firm selected by the Kerala government was involved in the Delhi excise case. The firm had also faced allegations of ground-water exploitation in Punjab. He also alleged irregularities in the selected process of the firm and said that the government was waiting for the Palakkad assembly bypoll to be over.</p><p>Former Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala also made corruption allegations in giving the nod for the distillery.</p><p>Excise minister M B Rajesh said that the allegations were "baseless" and the company was selected by following the due selection process. Rajesh also said that Satheesan and Chennithala were fighting for leadership roles in the Opposition.</p><p>In 2018 also, the Left-front government's decision to allow three breweries and a distillery had triggered a political row in Kerala. Subsequently, the government was forced to revoke the decision then.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram:<strong> </strong>Congress and BJP in Kerala have launched a stir against the decision of the CPM-led Left Democratic Front government to allow a distillery at Palakkad district.</p><p>Congress and BJP workers erected their respective party flags at the proposed site at Kanjikode in Palakkad on Sunday and said that the project will not be allowed.</p>.'Magic mushrooms not narcotic': Kerala High Court grants bail to petitioner held for possession of drugs.<p>Apart from alleging lack of transparency in allowing the Oasis group to start the distillery, the Opposition is raising concerns over ground water exploitation as the region is already facing acute water scarcity. There were also reports that a state public sector undertaking was earlier denied permission to scale up distillery business in the region citing water scarcity. </p><p>As the assembly session has begun, the Congress-led United Democratic Front will be "strongly" taking up the matter in the House.</p><p>The Cabinet decided to allow Rs 600 crore project of Oasis group to set up a grain-based distillery brewery unit at Kanjikode. The government claims that the decision was taken as per the state's liquor policy and "it will boost the state's agriculture sector too as crops of the state will be used as raw material".</p><p>Opposition leader V D Satheesan alleged that the firm selected by the Kerala government was involved in the Delhi excise case. The firm had also faced allegations of ground-water exploitation in Punjab. He also alleged irregularities in the selected process of the firm and said that the government was waiting for the Palakkad assembly bypoll to be over.</p><p>Former Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala also made corruption allegations in giving the nod for the distillery.</p><p>Excise minister M B Rajesh said that the allegations were "baseless" and the company was selected by following the due selection process. Rajesh also said that Satheesan and Chennithala were fighting for leadership roles in the Opposition.</p><p>In 2018 also, the Left-front government's decision to allow three breweries and a distillery had triggered a political row in Kerala. Subsequently, the government was forced to revoke the decision then.</p>