The Congress has come out strongly against the State government’s decision to change the distance rule related to setting up liquor bars near educational institutions and places of worship.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the decision to reduce the distance for locating liquor bars close to educational institutions and places of worship from 200 meters to 50 meters was a favour shown to the liquor lobby in return for election funds.
The decision clearly vindicated the Opposition parties’ allegations that the State government was beholden to the liquor barons.
Even though the State government claimed that the distance rule was restricted to deluxe, four-star and five-star bars, the ultimate objective was to bring three-star bars also under the purview of the new distance rule.
The Excise Minister’s justification that the distance rule was amended to promote tourism was a big joke. The new Excise rule should be read along with the government’s decisions related to admissions in private self-financing medical colleges and the new rules for environmentally debilitating quarrying.
In all these cases, the LDF government had virtually caved in to the pressures of powerful lobbies, Mr. Chennithala said and added that the United Democratic Front (UDF) would organise a strong agitation against the government decision that would lead to a proliferation of liquor.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president M.M. Hassan accused the LDF government of preparing the ground for opening of liquor bars in front of educational institutions and places of worship.
He termed the Excise Department’s decision as a Onam gift to liquor barons coming as it did close on the heels of the decision to declassify State Highways facilitating the opening of 466 bars. The Chief Minister, who had maintained that the LDF was for a policy of abstinence, had proved that it was interested in proliferation of liquor by opening bars in a phased manner.
Former KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran, who has been campaigning for prohibition, said the government had once again proclaimed its affinity to the liquor barons and amounted to an Onam gift for them.
The new distance rule was the culmination of the biggest corrupt deals witnessed in the State, he said.
