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LDF walkout over liquor tragedy

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Feb. 13. Members of the Opposition LDF walked out of the Kerala Assembly today to protest against what they termed the Government's lethargic response to the liquor tragedy in Peruvembu panchayat in Palakkad district, which claimed five lives.

The Excise Minister, K. Sankaranarayanan's explanation that the deaths were on account of the deceased having consumed stolen toddy laced with poison angered the Opposition members who found in it a bid by the Government to discount the seriousness of the issue. The Palakkad liquor mishap, they said, was the result of the Government's failure to check the spread of spurious and poisoned liquor in the State.

The Excise Minister said 11 persons of the Erad colony in Peruvembu panchayat had consumed the toddy taken from the coconut farm of a person named Kannadasan. The toddy tapper used to lace it with poison to prevent theft and the police suspected the deceased of having consumed the poisoned toddy. Five persons, including a woman and a child, were in hospital and the Puthunagaram police registered a case in connection with the mishap. Although the spread of illicit liquor could not be checked, the police and the excise departments were taking all steps necessary to check the menace, he said.

Seeking leave for the adjournment motion, V. Chenthamarakshan (CPI-M) claimed that six persons had died at Peruvembu after consuming poisoned toddy. He said there was a disturbing proliferation of illicit brewing centres in the district after the enforcement of the arrack ban. He accused the police and Excise authorities of having closed their eyes to the growing menace. Even running vehicles, including trains, had become liquor dens, he alleged.

The Leader of the Opposition, V. S. Achuthanandan, termed the Palakkad mishap as a `mini' Kalluvathukkal liquor tragedy. He alleged that spurious liquor was coming into the State from Mahe without any hindrance and was being marketed in Kerala with labels of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation.

The UDF Government, he said, was doing nothing in the matter because of the help it had received from the liquor mafia at the time of the last Assembly election.

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