LDF govt’s liquor policy an unforgivable betrayal people: Former Kerala Congress chief

Senior Congress leader and former KPCC president V M Sudheeran said the Pinarayi Vijayan Government has formulated a liquor policy by breaking the promises made to the people in the LDF manifesto.

In a statement on Monday, Sudheeran called the government’s policy is an unforgivable betrayal of the people, as it flouted the promise given by the LDF in its manifesto to adopt a policy that would help reduce the use and availability of alcohol in the state.

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Reminding the LDF leaders that the Front’s manifesto stated that ‘alcohol has become a social menace in Kerala and the Left Democratic Front government would adopt a policy that would help reduce the use and availability of alcohol’, the senior Congress leader said contrary to the promise, the government is adopting a policy for the widespread use of liquor.

Noting a steep rise in the liquor bars in the state during the LDF regime, Sudheeran said when the Pinarayi Vijayan Government came to power, there were only 29 bars in the state, now there are over 920.

“This is in addition to 306 outlets of Bevco and Consumerfed. This distribution of alcohol by the government and its continuation completely ignores the basic recommendations of the World Health Organization that it is essential to save the people from the dangers of alcohol,” he said.

As a result of the alarming spread of alcoholism and drugs, Kerala is in the midst of a major social disaster, he said. At this juncture, the government is coming up with new measures to promote consumption of alcohol going back on the assurance given to the people during the assembly elections, Sudheeran said.

He said the crime branch investigation into the bar bribery charges after the excise minister himself filed a complaint with the DGP has no credibility and he demanded a CBI probe into the case. In order to bring out the truth in the bar bribery allegations a, CBI probe is necessary, Sudheeran said.