THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: DGP Jacob Thomas on Saturday hit out at the state government’s liquor policy saying successive governments mired in ‘corruption’ always gave prominence to the liquor policy. Thomas, who is presently under suspension, was inaugurating the ‘Laharivimuktha Jyothi- 2018’, an anti-liquor awareness campaign organised by the Kerala Madyanirodhana Samithi (Kerala Liquor Prohibition Council) at the Press club here.He questioned the government’s claims on ‘sustainable development’ by giving priority to the liquor and lottery business as a source of income.
“Is the government laying a foundation by generating income from liquor and lottery trade? The government’s top priority is ‘liquor’ and the government equates sustainable development with liquor and lottery business. Every government which came to power in the state had given prominence to liquor policy rather than set up educational institutions and places of worship,” Thomas said.
According to Thomas, several police officers had to sacrifice their career for remaining upright. He also recalled the case of a police officer dating back some 20 years who was ‘neglected’ by the then government for being upright. “No officer can survive here by remaining upright. If a corrupt officer is servile to the government, then he will be rewarded with promotions and the like,” he said.
K P Duryodhanan, Kerala Madyanirodhana Samithi president, who presided over the function, said a torch run from Parassala here to Badiyadukka in Kasargod will be organised with the participation of the schools. Teachers and students of various schools in the district attended the programme.