New Liquor Policy to Make Alcohol Free Kerala

Kerala’s new liquor policy would be submitted to the high court on August 26, chief minister Oommen Chandy said Friday.”Today morning we have finalized the details of the liquor policy that was recommended last evening by the UDF (United Democratic Front),” Chandy told reporters here, just hours after declaring that Kerala will be on the road to becoming a “dry state” in a decade’s time.

The UDF on Thursday cleared the liquor policy that states from next fiscal, only five-star hotels in Kerala can serve liquor.

“We have now got legal opinion that the 312 bars that are now open can be closed anytime as the license was given subject to the new liquor policy. So we need not wait till the end of this fiscal to shut them down.

The UDF arrived at the decision following state Congress president V.M. Sudheeran’s tough stand when he, citing a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, argued that the 418 bars with poor infrastructure should not be given new licences this fiscal.

While the state-owned Beverages Corporation is the sole wholesaler of liquor in the state, there are 383 retail outlets also belonging to the state and it has been decided that every year 10 percent of these retail outlets would be closed.

“The so called loss of revenue (around Rs.7,000 crores by way of taxes) is not at all a concern because the indirect loss caused due to the ill-effects of alcohol like accidents, alcohol induced crimes and such things are a few times more than the revenue earned by the state. This is not an issue at all,” said Chandy.

Src- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kerala-readies-new-liquor-policy-as-it-heads-for-prohibition/articleshow/40675807.cms

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