Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 1 (IANS) With the Kerala
government enforcing its new liquor policy from the current fiscal that
began April 1, the sales of liquor have come down while that of beer
have gone up.
According to the Kerala State Beverages
Corporation, this drop was noticed during the April- first quarter when
compared to the previous fiscal.
"During the current fiscal from
April to June, there has been a drop in sales of liquor to the tune of
10.74 lakh cases as compared to the same period in the previous fiscal,"
said an excise official requesting anonymity.
"Likewise, the sales of beer during the same period went up by 13.50 lakh cases," the official added.
On
account of the new liquor policy, more than 700 bars that used to serve
liquor have been closed and today, many of them have licenses to sell
only beer and wine.
Liquor is now available in just 24 five-star hotel bars in the state.
Liquor
and beer, however, are available in 344 state-run retail shops and here
too, every year, 10 percent of them would be closed down as the new
liquor policy aims to achieve prohibition in a phased manner.
Kerala
Excise Minister K. Babu, inaugurating a programme (Subodham) that aims
to work towards decreasing the demand for alcohol, on Tuesday said the
state's excise department works under many compulsions, particularly
with neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka starting bars on Kerala's
borders.
"The excise department is going beyond the call of duty
in spreading an awareness programme through Subodham," the minister
said.
Senior Congress legislator K. Muraleedharan, called for
self-restraint in alcohol consumption, rather than outright prohibition,
that "can work negatively".
"Revolutionary prohibition
programmes have only created new avenues for alcohol sales and
consumption. We have to understand the reality of the situation and find
the apt solution for 'Alcohol free Kerala'," said Muraleedharan, son of
former chief minister K. Karunakaran.