THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State government has relaxed boundary norms for opening liquor shops in a bid to overcome the protests which have prevented government-run Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) from opening liquor shops in new locations.
Bevco’s attempt to find new locations for liquor shops relocated from along highways on account of the December 15 Supreme Court order had triggered stiff opposition.
In a nutshell, the government will award approvals on taluk-basis giving Bevco more leeway if it faces protests in any panchayat. Earlier, the sanction to open a liquor shop was governed by ‘Eluga’ or a prescribed boundary - mostly a panchayat or a ward - within which the shop had to be opened. According to the new order, the shop can be opened anywhere within a taluk, which covers several panchayats or local bodies.
The government has issued the orders on the request of Bevco which has been facing stiff opposition in finding new locations for its outlets along highways that would have to be shut on the basis of the Supreme Court verdict. Bevco has succeeded in finding new ‘homes’ for less than 30 of the 179 outlets that have to be relocated.