Amidst growing fear about possibility of spurt in production and sale of illicit liquor and mounting uncertainty about the future of employees in the liquor sector, nearly 2,000 booze outlets including bars, toddy outlets, retail shops and beer and wine parlours went out of operation on Sunday, the first booze trade day after the Supreme Court’s order banning liquor outlets within 500-metre limit from national and State highways became operational.
The Government, unable to find suitable places to shift the liquor shops operating near the highways, has sought legal advice from the Advocate General on the possibility of approaching the Supreme Court with a plea for getting an extension for implementing its order. The Government is seeking three month’s time for this. Suggesting that the authorities’ fear about the possibility of a steep rise in illegal brewing and sale of illicit liquor in the situation almost akin to the prevalence of a near-Prohibition emanating from the apex court order need not be baseless, Excise and police officials on Sunday destroyed a huge illicit liquor-distilling centre in Aluva near Kochi.
Three persons who were behind the illicit liquor racket were taken into custody and 50 litres of molasses preparation and several equipments and utensils used for distillation were seized. Sate Public Works Minister G Sudhakaran, who holds the Excise portfolio, had the other day expressed fear about a possible spurt in the flow of illicit liquor in the new situation.
On Sunday, the first day of booze-sales– the first of every month is a ‘dry day’ – in Kerala after the time expired for implementing the Supreme Court order, as many as 1,956 liquor shops, including 1,132 shops vending toddy, the drink extracted from palm trees, remained closed. Boozers were seen protesting before several outlets.
Protests by local residents were also witnessed in several places against the authorities’ efforts to shift outlets that had been functioning within the 500-metre limit from highways. The bid to open an outlet at Ooppamannu in Pathanamthitta had to be abandoned as a standoff between local people and boozers threatened to create a law and order situation.
“I am not against people drinking liquor but a liquor outlet near my house will be permanent security threat for me and my family. I am ready to sacrifice my life to ensure that the shop is not shifted to this area,” said a protestor while a boozer in the same locality said, “I don’t care where the shop is but I should get the “thing”. I have been drinking for past 40 years.”
The Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco), State-run monopoly liquor distributor, was to shift 180 of its total 272 retail booze outlets from near the national and State highways and it has already shifted 46. The corporation was unable to shift the remaining 134 shops due to non-availability of suitable places and resistance from people living in the target localities.
“It is not easy to find places that do not have temples or educational institutions near the buildings identified for shifting the outlets to. When such buildings are found after great effort, the local people raise protests. Now the time for all such efforts has run out,” complained a top official of the Beverages Corporation.
11 of the total 31 bars at five-star hotels, 18 bars attached to clubs of the elite, 586 beer-and-wine parlours, 207 retail shops of the Bevco and Kerala State Cooperative Consumer Federation (Consumerfed) were among the 1,956 booze outlets that remained closed and sealed by Excise officials in Kerala.
The tourism sector is feared to suffer a huge blow if the SC order is fully operationalised, according to those in the sector. The situation is expected to lead to a big drop in the Government’s revenue in tax collection and dividends from the Bevco. Also, about 20,000 people employed in the sector will face job crisis, experts say.