THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the Test Positivity Rate (TPR)- based restrictions came in for sharp criticism from various quarters, including traders, the sales figures of Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) showed that there was no major dip in the daily revenue.
This is despite a large number of Bevco outlets remaining closed on account of TPR-based restrictions. A Bevco source said that the corporation has netted an average revenue of Rs 40 crore in the last 10 days, despite close to 50 per cent of its outlets remaining closed due to the local body-based restrictions due to high TPR .
As on Tuesday, as many as 130 Bevco outlets remained closed due to the TPRbased restrictions, which will be revised every Thursday on the basis of the average weekly TPR of the local bodies. At one point of time, over 50 per cent of Bevco outlets had remained shut in the state. For instance in Ernakulam, as many as 32 out of the total 40 Bevco outlets in the district were shut down five days ago. Bevco used to net around Rs 40-41 crore revenue per day on normal days, whereas the revenue touched Rs 45-46 crore per day during weekends or festive seasons.
The latest sale figures, despite over 40 per cent of Bevco outlets remaining shut, show that the consumers are not ready to forego their daily quota of liquor irrespective of the Covid status of the local body they reside in. A senior Bevco officer said, “No matter whether the liquor outlets in one local body or neighbouring local bodies are closed, consumers will find ways to get their daily quota”. The excise department recently suggested raising the number of liquor outlets in the state from 306 (270 outlets of Bevco and 36 of Consumerfed) to reduce the rush at the outlets.
It suggested relocating around 96 outlets from crowded areas to less populated areas, apart from increasing the counters in each outlet. According to an affidavit filed before the High Court, while neighbouring states have one liquor outlet for every 17,000 persons, it is one outlet for every one lakh consumers in Kerala. Commenting on this, a senior excise officer said, “What we have done is to suggest a way out to reduce the rush at liquor outlets. Since it is a policy matter, the government has to take the call,” he said.