Kerala: Congress slams LDF govt’s new liquor policy
Senior Congress man and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan said that the only objective of the state government was to make profit
Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi: The opposition Congress in Kerala on Thursday accused the LDF government of increasing the availability of liquor in the state and accelerating alcohol consumption in the society, a day after the CPI (M)-led dispensation came out with its new liquor policy.
A cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on Wednesday approved the liquor policy for the year 2023-24, which promotes the production and sale of traditional toddy and proposes to manufacture the maximum quantity of foreign liquor and beer within the state.
Coming down heavily on the Pinarayi Vijayan government, the Congress said it was “strange” that the policy, which proposes to increase the distribution of liquor, also claims that anti-alcohol campaign would be intensified simultaneously in the state.
Senior Congress man and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan said that the only objective of the state government was to make profit.
“The state government’s new liquor policy is strange. In one part, it says that funds will be allocated to carry out a vigorous campaign to reduce alcohol consumption. Along with it, the policy also says that an additional 250 beverage outlets would also be opened in the state, taking the total number of such outlets to 559 in Kerala, ” he told reporters in Kochi.
The policy also proposes to increase the distribution and availability of liquor by allowing beer and wine parlours in all restaurants, he noted.
Claiming that the consumption of narcotic substances has drastically gone up in the state, the LoP said there was no reference to this serious menace in the new policy.
Not the Vimukthi campaign, but strong enforcement is needed to root out the evil in society, he opined.
Though the Marxist party had claimed that it would take steps to gradually reduce the liquor consumption in the state, he alleged that the party-led government’s actions only helped increase its spread in the state after it came to power seven years ago.
Acknowledging that a complete ban on alcohol is impractical, Satheesan, said its increasing availability would only lead to enhanced consumption.
State Excise Minister M B Rajesh, however, rejected the criticism against the liquor policy, saying it was “realistic and balanced”.
Allegations raised against it should only be seen as political charges, he said.
The objective of the government is to generate revenue and create more employment opportunities through the export of foreign Liquor, he said.
The policy also supports the production of value-added initiatives of farmers and the proposal to make mild alcohol from fruits and vegetables is part of it.
Not ban but abstinence has always been the policy of the Left government, the Minister said and charged that the Congress and LoP were raising baseless allegations.
The new policy mainly covers three aspects, including the toddy sector, foreign liquor, and the government’s anti-liquor and drug campaign.
According to the government, the fee for issuing bar licences would be increased to Rs 35 lakh from the present Rs 30 lakh, under the policy.
A mechanism would also be put in place to manufacture the maximum quantity of foreign liquor and beer within the state.
Necessary arrangements would be made in the existing rules for the promotion of the export of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL), it said, adding that exorbitant registration and export fees, which adversely impact liquor exports, would be restructured to encourage it.
