As a way to ensure that the reopening of liquor outlets across the country does not lead to overcrowding amid the ongoing pandemic, the state government has come up with the idea of the app as a tech solution to the queue management problem
As liquor stores are set to reopen soon in Kerala, the state's liquor app BevQ has received a go-ahead from Google, Manorama Online has reported.
The news would come as a breath of fresh air to tipplers in the state who have been eagerly awaiting the resumption of alcohol sales.
The report noted the developers as having confirmed the approval of the app's beta version by tech giant Google on May 25. It is expected to be up and running soon after trial runs are completed.
About BevQ — the mobile solution to Kerala's booze delivery problem
A mobile application that serves as a virtual queue management system for liquor sales, BevQ was developed by Kochi-based startup Faircode Technologies. It is owned by the Kerala State Beverages (M&M) Corporation Limited or BEVCO, a fully state government-owned company that holds the monopoly over the purchase and distribution of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL), beer, wine, foreign-made foreign liquor (FMFL) and foreign-made wine (FMW) across the state.
The state government had, via issuance of a tender, invited applications from those willing to participate in BEVCO's virtual queue management system solution.
How it works
So once the app is listed on the Google Play Store, it would finally become operational only after the required trial runs are completed successfully.
Thereafter, customers will have to book their purchases on the app. They will be issued e-tokens on the app itself, after which they will be able to purchase liquor from their nearest outlets or bars.
Why do you need the app?
As a way to ensure that the reopening of liquor outlets across the country does not lead to overcrowding amid the ongoing pandemic, the state government has come up with the idea of the app as a tech solution to the queue management problem.
Liquor outlets in the southern state, whose people are known to love their liquor, have remained shuttered for over two months now, owing to the ongoing nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the state registering the highest per capita alcohol consumption in India, liquor sales emerge as one of the biggest contributors to its exchequer. In fact, BEVCO notes that it is one of the major contributors to the state kitty.
