various quarters for its decision to open liquor bars in panchayats having a population of above 10,000, the LDF government…
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various quarters for its decision to open liquor bars in panchayats having a population of above 10,000, the LDF government in Kerala on Sunday said that it has no plans to open new liquor bars in the state.
State excise minister T P Ramakrishnan has said on Sunday that the government has no plans to open any new bars in Kerala.
Addressing a Press conference in Kozhikode, the excise minister said the news being circulated in this regard is due to some misunderstanding. Mr Ramakrishnan clarified that only those liquor shops which were closed in the wake of earlier Supreme Court order, are now being reopened. He said the LDF government’s liquor policy is aimed at liquor abstinence and not its outright ban.
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“As part of this policy, the LDF government has given shape to an awareness programme called ‘Vimukthi’. This programme is being organised right from state- to ward-level and has yielded results,” he said. The state government on Friday notified a Supreme Court order allowing licenses to every local body to open new liquor vends in the areas where population is above 10,000.
The state BJP has come out strongly against the move to open liquor bars in panchayats. BJP state president KummanamRajasekharan said LDF government’s move to allow the opening of bars in Panchayats having a population of over 10,000, will result in a situation of Kerala drowning in liquor
The Catholic Church has expressed its protest and anguish over the decision by saying that LDF government’s liquor policy will hit the state like the Ockhi disaster and it will reflect in the forthcoming Chengannurbypoll.
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