Kerala
Onam bonanza: Liquor sale rakes in nearly Rs. 100 crore for Kerala govt
The liquor sale over two days during Onam in Kerala brought in Rs 94.79 crore as revenue for the state, announced Excise Minister K Babu.
According to The New Indian Express report the Minister said that though the sale on these days last year was 83 crore, the revenue increase should not be interpreted as an increase in consumption because it reflects the hike effected in the sales tax on liquor.
“Under the UDF government, there has been a quantitative decrease of 18 per cent in terms of the number of bottles sold,” the Minister adds while speaking workshop on the 'Subodham' Project, which was launched against drug and alcohol addiction.
The report however says that a large number of bars have been opened in the border areas of neighboring states of Kerala, as the bars are closed in the state. The sales in those bars have shot up.
Meanwhile the 'Subodham' project was the first step towards 'Punarjani 2030 Project', a state government initiative to completely eradicate the menace of substance abuse in Kerala."
It was envisaged by the excise department, will be implemented by a high-level committee comprising experts from various fields.
