THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Avoid populated areas while opening liquor shops, the State Human Rights Commission has told the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco).
“Since the right to consume liquor is not a fundamental right, opening Bevco outlets by ignoring the objections raised by women and children cannot be justified,” commission acting chairman P Mohana Das said in an order on Thursday. Further, the commission has asked the state to take the initiative to ban liquor and narcotics for raising the standard of living and improvement of public health as enshrined in Article 47 of the Constitution.
The commission’s order came on a petition filed by a group of housewives against Bevco’s decision to open a liquor shop in their neighbourhood at Murikkumpuzha in Thiruvananthapuram district. The Bevco outlet in question originally functioned at Mangalapuram in the district, but Bevco had decided to shift it to Murikkumpuzha following the Supreme Court order banning liquor shops within 500 m of state and national highways.
The commission has asked the Bevco managing director and the secretary of Mangalapuram grama panchayat to file explanations within 30 days.
The commission’s order has come at a time when the LDF Government and Bevco are having a tough time placating local communities to make the relocation of liquor shops from highway sides a success. Protests had sprung up all over the state against the move to open the shut-down shops in new locations, especially residential areas.
In Murikkumpuzha, the residents had formed an action council to fight Bevco’s plans to open the shop.Following the December 15 Supreme Court order, Bevco had launched efforts to relocate 179 shops from the sides of highways.
However, nearly 118 shops are still lying shut due to public protests in the proposed locations. If Bevco is unable to reopen the shops in new locations, revenue loss in 2017-18 could touch Rs 2000 crore, according to the government.
Petition by housewives
The commission’s order came on a petition filed by a group of housewives against Bevco’s decision to open a liquor shop in their neighbourhood at Murikkumpuzha in T’Puram. The Bevco outlet in question originally functioned at Mangalapuram in the district, but Bevco had decided to shift it to Murikkumpuzha following the SC order banning liquor shops within 500 m of state and NH