Kerala liquor business body chief indicates shops may open soon

Thiruvananthapuram: There is good news for 5 lakh Keralalites, who enjoy their daily dose of alcohol. An order from the top boss of the state-owned Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) to its employees appears to indicate that liquor vends in the state may open from May 4.

Bevco MD, Sparjan Kumar in his letter to its employees has said that if there are relaxations in the lockdown from May 4, all the shops can open, but all norms should be adhered to strictly.

It says before the shops open, the shop and its premises should be cleaned and disinfected. Hand sanitizers should be there, besides the accepted norm of social distancing should be maintained.

It was on March 24 that the vends shut down. Attempts by the state government earlier to open these shops amid the lockdown was shot down by the Kerala High Court.

The profile of liquor users in the state in an earlier study reveal that around 32.9 lakh people out of the 3.34 crore population in the state consume liquor, which includes 29.8 lakh men and 3.1 lakh women.

Around five lakh people consume liquor on a daily basis. Of this, around 83,851 people including 1,043 women are addicted to alcohol.