Whatever the court disposes, the Government proposes is the new dictum in the State of Kerala. Last week saw the Kerala High Court dismissing a petition filed by a private citizen who had pleaded with the court to direct the Government to ensure the availability of liquor through online platforms so that tipplers need not stand in long queues for hours to get their daily quota of spirits.
Jyothish, a Cochin-based youth had approached the judiciary in the backdrop of the coronavirus and the medical directives regarding the social distancing.
His contention was that if the Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), as the stuff is known in this Southern State, is sold through in-line platforms like Amazon or Flipkart, the tipplers need not stand in the queues in front of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (BEVCO for short) counters, the State monopoly in liquor business, exposing themselves to potential attack by coronavirus. He also pointed out that if liquor is sold through the online platforms, the State need not surrender or sacrifice the revenue accrued through the sector.
But the judge who heard the petition came down heavily on Jyothish by giving him a sermon on the responsibilities of the ourt, Government and the citizen. To express the displeasure of the court towards the petitioner for filing such pleas, the judge ordered him to pay Rs 50,000 as fine which would be credited into the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund. The State Cabinet which met on Wednesday morning decided to shut down all the BEVCO outlets in view of the national lock out declared by the Centre on Tuesday night. This has dampened the spirits of millions of tipplers across the State, which has a reputation as the largest guzzler of liquor in the country.
But sources in the Department of Excise said the Government was studying the possibilities of making liquor available through on line platforms. Officials pointed out that the Excise Minister T P Ramakrishnan had launched a project of on-line booking of liquor to help the tipplers from the hassles of standing in serpentine queues in front of BEVCO.
Consumerfed, the apex body of all consumer cooperatives in the State too had made elaborate arrangements for the on line booking of spirits through on line agencies. A final declaration about the new bventure may be out shortly as the unprecedented closure of ‘watering holes’ has dampened the spirits of veteran tipplers.