The smuggling of liquor into Kerala from Mahe has come down drastically due to the stringent measures taken by the Excise Department.
This in turn has affected the import of liquor to Mahe, Excise Commissioner Rishi Raj Singh has said.
Citing figures from July 2015 and corresponding figures from this year, Mr. Singh told reporters here on Tuesday that the import of liquor to Mahe had reduced by half by September 2016. While more than 83,000 cases of liquor were imported to Mahe in July 2015, it was reduced to around 58,000 in July 2016 and was further reduced to around 43,000 in September 2016, he said.
Mr. Singh said the liquor policy followed by the Kerala government at present was practical as total prohibition had never succeeded anywhere in the world. “At present, we have only 28 bars besides 33 five star hotels, 29 clubs and over 300 Beverages Corporation outlets. This has been effective in exerting some control over liquor consumption. It is good enough to prevent people from engaging in illicit liquor manufacturing,” he said, adding that the proposal for online liquor sales was impractical due to various reasons.
Online sales
“How can we ensure that the buyer is above 21 years of age if the sale is online? Nor can we ensure that the person is not a leprosy patient. There is every chance that cash is not paid on delivery,” he said.
