Kerala's Congress-led UDF Government, which had on October 2 last closed down about 40 of the total 384 retail liquor outlets in the State as part of its liquor policy envisaging total liquor ban in ten years, has now decided to open 100 additional counters in the existing outlets as swelling crowds of consumers at the shops are threatening to create law and order problems.
The Government is being forced to open the additional counters as the number of consumers reaching the retail booze outlets registered a big leap since the closure of all bars except those in 24 five-star hotels on March 31. On an average, 10 lakh consumers used to reach the retail outlets per day till March 31 but this number has gone up to 13 lakhs since then.
Retail booze outlets in Kerala are run by the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco), the State-owned monopoly distributor of liquor, and the Kerala State Cooperative Consumer Federation (Consumerfed). The Government had in August last decided to close down ten percent of the retail outlets every year bringing to an end sale of liquor by 2024.
As per the new decision, 100 counters would open in the retail booze outlets which witness the heaviest rush of consumers. The Bevco had recently requested the Director General of Police for security to its retail outlets after the swelling consumer crowds had threatened to turn into a law and order issue. However, the Government has reiterated that no new liquor shops would open.
The new counters are being opened to control the consumers' crowds through introduction of a token system. Token-vending systems would be installed in these counters. A decision has also been taken to keep additional stocks of cheap brands of liquor in the context of the complaints about shortage of low-priced liquor brands.
Employees manning retail shops are complaining that they are unable to cope up with the rush of consumers. "A minimum of 50 men will be waiting for us when we come to open the shop in the morning. We face difficulties in closing the shop in the evening due to the pleadings and threats from those who fail to get bottles," said an employee in a Thrissur booze shop.
That the closure of bars did not produce the desired result was evident in the very first week of the current financial year. On April 2, the first working day for liquor business in the new financial year, booze worth Rs38.37 crore was sold through the Bevco outlets, while liquor sold on March 2, when 312 bars were in operation, was worth only Rs30.6 crore.
Even if the five-percent increase in the Excise duty imposed on liquor in the new financial year was taken into consideration, the sales on April 2 had shown a 22 per cent leap.