THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition UDF pulled off, perhaps, the first major political victory during the Pinarayi Vijayan regime after relentlessly pushing the Left Government on the back foot and forcing it to cancel the controversial approval given to three breweries and one distillery, alleging graft.
The government found itself under added pressure after the Opposition decided to strengthen the agitation and dissent grew within the Left Front.
The CPM and CPI leadership were also unhappy about the controversy. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, though welcomed the decision, said the UDF would continue with its agitation demanding Excise Minister T P Ramakrishnan’s resignation.
Pinarayi, however, tried to tone down the entire episode, saying there were no irregularities in the decision to grant in-principle approval to the breweries and distillery. He added the government decided to withdraw the approval to avoid controversy and keeping in mind the larger interest of the state post flood.
Insisting that the decision does not mean the government is going back from sanctioning new brewery units, he said a mechanism will be put in place to scrutinise new applications.
“The state is rebuilding itself and these’re times when we should stand together. Such baseless allegations won’t help our future.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has welcomed government decision to cancel approvals given to three breweries and one distillery. However, the UDF will continue with its agitation demanding resignation of Excise Minister T P Ramakrishnan, Chennithala said.
Chennithala was the first to raise corruption allegation in granting permission to three breweries and a distillery.
Addressing the media after the UDF meet, the opposition leader said the Front will conduct dharnas in 140 Assembly constituencies on October 11 demanding the minister’s resignation.
The Opposition will also organise dharnas in front of all district collectorate and secretariat on October 21.
“The government has several things to hide in the brewery issue and we will continue the agitation as well as the legal fights,” Chennithala said adding that the Excise minister has overruled the file noting of Excise Additional Chief Secretary and other officials to give permission for starting breweries and distillery.
He said neither the Excise law of 1965 nor the Brewery law of 1967 mention about in-principle permission and added that LDF government gave licenses to companies to make liquor. Ramesh said he raised the corruption allegation in brewery allocation with the full responsibility as the Opposition leader.
Chennithala said applications in white paper were collected from companies secretly. There was no mention of where the company was formed or the survey number of the place in the application.
The Opposition leader alleged that Excise Commissioner Rishi Raj Singh was sent to Bangalore to study the opening micro breweries and also beer pubs. He challenged the government to publish the report given by Singh in this regard.