Tipplers in Kerala are in for a surprise. Taken aback by the criticism levelled by the Kerala High Court to the pathetic situations of liquor outlets in the State, the LDF Government is considering increasing the number of Beverages Corporation outlets dispensing spirit.
Liquor sales in the State have been taken over by the Government and all retail outlets are run by the public sector Kerala State Beverages Corporation. There are serpentine queues in front of the BevCo outlets which have made purchase of liquor a difficult process. The tipplers have to stand in sun and rains for hours to get their daily quota of spirits.
A Vijayaraghavan, Kerala CPI(M) secretary who is also the convener of the high power liaison committee of the Left Democratic Front told The Pioneer on Monday that tipplers were undergoing severe hardship to procure liquor. “We are seriously considering increasing the number of liquor outlets so that the difficulties faced by them could be brought down. This is in the backdrop of the observation made by the Kerala High Court. Our objective is to make life easy for all,” said Vijayaraghavan.
When it was pointed out to the CPI(M) secretary that the union territory of Puducherry has super markets exclusively selling liquor, he said this was an issue which the party and the Government would study in detail. Customers in Puducherry could do their shopping in the exclusive liquor shops, selecting their favorite brands from the shelves and pay either by cash or card at the counter. There are no queues even during festival season while business is hectic.
Vijayaraghavan was keen to know more details about the private liquor outlets in Tamil Nadu which were wound up by 2002 as the State administration took over the liquor sales. The famous super bazars like Spencer’s had special counters dispensing all brands of liquor and they functioned smoothly till the Government cancelled such outlets.
Even the BevCo outlets in Kerala dispensing premium brands were closed down because of staff shortage.