The inability of the Kerala State Beverages Corpora-tion (Bevco), Kerala’s public sector monopoly booze supplier, to relocate its retail liquor shops situated within the 500-metre distance limit from national and State highways to ‘safer’ areas as per a Supreme Court order is allegedly threatening its very existence because of steep fall in revenue.
Bevco’s serious revenue fall has also turned into a big problem for the State Government as a good part of its income used to come from the corporation’s booze sales. The situation has also affected the Department of Finance, which was relying on the daily sales income at Bevco shops, to tide over the shortage of currency notes.
In a report submitted to the law secretary, Bevco MD H Venkitesh said that the corporation would have to be closed down if the Government did not intervene effectively and immediately into the issue.
According to the report, Bevco is facing an average daily revenue loss of Rs 8 crore to Rs 10 crore. After the court order came to force on April 1, Bevco has reportedly suffered a loss of nearly Rs 200 crore.