After the Supreme Court order of shifting all liquor shops lying along the National as well as state highways, there has been a notable fall in the sale of liquor in the state of Kerala. According to the figures released by the Beverages Corporation (Bevco), in the month of April, liquor sale dropped by Rs 106 cr compared to last year’s statistics.
Notably, last year during the same period, Bevco registered sales worth Rs 1078 cr. But this April, sales was reduced to only Rs 972 cr. The rate of sale of beer in the state has also cut down to 50% whereas the sale of imported alcohol has reduced by 8%. After the SC issued the directive, most number of beer parlours were shut, thereby cutting down the tax revenue too.
Notably, Kerala State Beverages Corporation Ltd a.k.a BEVCO, is a public sector company owned by the Government of Kerala, which has a monopoly over wholesale and retail vending of alcohol in Kerala. It controls the retail sale of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and beer trade in the state.
Bevco has 175 outlets at present and will open 100 more, arrangements for which is still going on. Shifting of the outlets is still facing stern opposition from the state.
