Ten liquor outlets to be reopened as premium ones in Thiruvananthapuram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of its new liquor policy announced for 2022-23, the government has decided to reopen 10 liquor outlets of the Consumer fed that were closed down previously.
The outlets that were functioning earlier but were closed down due to several reasons, are being reopened as premium ones with walk-in facilities for the consumers. The outlets being reopened include the ones in Kesavadasapuram (Thiruvananthapuram), Kulathupuzha (Kollam), Kottayam, Peermade (Idukki), Muvattupuzha (Ernakulam), Palakkad, Kozhinjampara (Palakkad), Balussery (Kozhikode), Meppadi (Wayanad) and Kasaragod.
The government had on May 17 issued an order that listed out 91 municipalities and corporations and 84 grama panchayats in the state wherein additional liquor outlets of the Kerala state beverages corporation (Bevco) are planned to be opened. These include 22 places in Thiruvananthapuram district, of which 10 are in Thiruvananthapuram corporation alone, 18 in Kollam, six in Pathanamthitta, 21 in Alappuzha, nine in Kottayam, six in Idukki, 11 in Ernakulam, 23 in Thrissur, 14 in Palakkad, 12 in Malappuram, 12 in Kozhikode, five in Wayanad, 11 in Kannur and five in Kasaragod districts.
In addition, the government has also given clearance to reopen 68 outlets that were earlier closed down, either at the same location, or in another place in the same taluk or in the next taluk, with a walk-in facility for customers.
The liquor policy cleared by the state cabinet on March 30 had decided to reopen Bevco outlets (FL-1) shops across the state that were closed down in the past due to various reasons, as FL-1 premium outlets. Based on critical observations by the high court regarding the condition of FL-1 shops, it was decided that necessary modifications have to be made so as to reduce the rush in the existing FL-1 shops by providing walk-in facility instead of making the customers stand in long queues in the open, without any respite from climatic conditions.
In 2013-14, there were 384 Bevco retail outlets in the state and due to several political reasons it was reduced to 345 the next year and then to 306 in 2015-16. But since then, no new ones have been granted.
With the latest liquor policy, that has also decided to grant licences for serving liquor at IT parks too, in addition to reopening the closed Bevco and Consumerfed outlets, the overall number of liquor outlets are set to increase sharply.