Senior Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran has written to the Chief Minister, urging him to withdraw the State’s liquor policy and take urgent measures to curb the availability of liquor besides arresting the fearsome spread of contraband drugs.
Mr. Sudheeran, in his detailed letter, reminds the Chief Minister of the Left front’s 2016-election manifesto in which it promised to reduce the availability and use of liquor in Kerala in a phased manner. After attaining power, it went in the opposite direction, accuses Mr. Sudheeran, pointing to the widespread availability of liquor in the State.
While the government argued that it was the non-availability of liquor that led to the spread of narcotic drugs, the State right now witnesses the spread of both these intoxicants at alarming levels. The rise in violent crimes is a direct fallout of this, but it’s hypocritical on the part of the Chief Minister to focus on the dangers of drug abuse alone while sidestepping the role of alcohol in these, says Mr. Sudheeran.
He says the COVID-19 lockdown period, with zero availability of alcohol, recorded a marked drop in crimes and improved the financial capacity of families. Citing the growth of the State’s tourism revenue between 2014 and 2016 (when the number of liquor bars dropped to 29), Mr. Sudheeran also argues that liquor availability isn’t essential for the growth of tourism sector.
He asks the Chief Minister to apologise to the people for reneging on the promise to arrest the availability of liquor and urges the government to review the laws to ensure even more stringent punishment for crimes committed under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Mr. Sudheeran also points to the need for a multi-agency drive against intoxicants and for deployment of efficient personnel with commendable service records in the anti-narcotics squads of the police and excise departments. He demands that the State drop the move to start a brewery in Elapully.
Published – March 26, 2025 09:46 pm IST
