The Kerala Government launched its new policy envisaging total liquor ban within ten years and a programme to get rid of plastics and flex publicity material on Thursday, the 146th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.
“On this day, when the whole world remembers Gandhiji, we in Kerala are taking the first step towards achieving the goal of total liquor ban,” Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the chief architect of the prohibition programme, said in Thiruvananthapuram while inaugurating the Gandhi Smriti Yatra led by State Congress president VM Sudheeran.
As the first step towards achieving the goal of prohibition in ten years, 39 (ten per cent) of the total 384 retail liquor outlets in the State were formally closed down on Thursday. These shops had practically downed their shutters on the night of Tuesday as Wednesday, the first day of the month, and Thursday, Gandhi Jayanti day, were no-booze days (dry days).
The plan is to close down ten per cent of the retail liquor shops every Gandhi Jayanti day, thus leading to total eradication of liquor trade by October 2, 2023. Another step towards bringing down the availability of liquor to support the prohibition plan is to make every first Sunday of the month a dry day and October 5 would be a no-booze day as per this.
Of the total 730 bars that existed in the State, 418 had gone out of function on March 31 last. The Kerala High Court is to decide the fate of 292 of the remaining 312 bars most probably next week and the Government expects the court to uphold its decision to close them down. After that, the only bars functioning in the State would be at the 20 five-star hotels.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Chandy inaugurated in Thiruvananthapuram the plastics collection drive being implemented jointly by the local Administration Department and the Clean Kerala Mission by removing the flex publicity boards put up in his own name and those of his colleagues in the Cabinet.
The State Cabinet had on Wednesday decided to pass a law to ban plastics and flex boards and announcing this decision, the Chief Minister had said that the drive would start by removing his own flex boards. PCC chief Sudheeran asked the Congress workers not to use flex boards for publicity in the future.
Earlier in the day, Chandy inaugurated the Gandhi Harita Samriddhi, an organic vegetable farming drive, at Indira Bhavan, the PCC headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. The drive, aimed at growing pesticide-free vegetables, was kicked off by planting plants in 146 earthen pots to mark the 146th birthday of Gandhiji on the terrace of Indira Bhavan.
At the same time, the Cleanliness Week starting on Gandhi Jayanti day was kicked off by different Ministers in different districts. Bureaucrats, political leaders, students, cadets of the NCC, Scouts and Guides and others participated in the drive at various centres. Cleanliness drive was held at Government offices, hospitals, schools, roads and public places across the State.
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was kicked off in Kochi city by the Indian Navy in association with the Kochi Corporation. Mayor Tony Chammani and Vice-Admiral SPS Cheema, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, jointly inaugurated the programme. Corporation councilors and Navy personnel also took part in the initiative.
At Fort Kochi, Kerala’s most famous heritage centre, the drive was inaugurated by K Babu, State Minister for Excise, Ports and Fisheries in the presence of Dominic Presentation MlA. A team of 150 Coast Guard and Naval personnel participated in the drive, apart from several NCC, NSS, Scouts and Guides cadets.