Kerala to backtrack on prohibition

D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram

The south Indian state of Kerala has decided to open 1,000 shops to sell toddy, a country liquor, and 25 to sell foreign liquor.

This is part of the new communist government's new liquor policy, which hopes to people who lost their jobs when the previous Congress government banned sale of arrack, another country liquor, says Excise Minister T Sivadasa Menon.

The liquor policy, which goes contrary to the partial prohibition introduced by the previous government, also plans to bring down the price of Indian-made foreign liquor, a technical term for branded liquor made using foreign processes. The Congress government had hiked IMFL prices by 200 per cent to discourage people from buying foreign liquor.

He said that though the Left Front government was against prohibition, the arrack ban would remain. Most outlets that were to be opened from the coming financial year were stopped by the previous government as part of its policy of phased-prohibition. Menon said duty on IMFL was being brought on par with that in neighbouring states to prevent the smuggling that began after duty was raised. This way the state also lost revenue, he said, hoping the current moves rectify the balance.

But the Congress-led Opposition said the steps taken would flood the states with liquor. In this it has support from prohibitionists and religious organisations, including the church, which is especially miffed about new bars coming up near churches now when the last government has closed down liquor vends near places of worship.

Opposition leader A K Antony said the Opposition will organise public agitations against the move. Several bishops and priests have joined the protest action. Two priests were arrested alongwith eight others when they tried to register their protest by blocking a bus carrying the members of the state legislative assembly. The archbishops of Ernakulam, Thrissur and Varappuzha have also exhorted people to oppose the new liquor policy.

Several churches had claimed that the former government phased-prohibition plans had reduced friction in families and street quarrels while improving the standard of living.

Part of the Opposition is a result of two liquor tragedies in and around Cochin in the last two years.