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Liquor sales recorded an increase of a whopping 21% in 10 days leading to Onam over the same period last year
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Liquor consumption and Onam celebrations go hand-in-hand in Kerala. Malayalis seem to have had a gaga time this year, with latest figures suggesting revelers sipped booze worth a record ₹759 crores in the last 10 days of August.
This year’s liquor sales figures are up by 21.6 per cent over last year’s ₹624 crores during the same period, according to the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (BEVCO).
Speaking to The New Indian, Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC), the body which governs BEVCO, said the outlets sold liquor worth ₹759 between August 21 and August 31.
“Around 6 lakh customers were served on August 28 (Uthradom day)”, said Yogesh Gupta, KSBC chief managing director.
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“While there were no sales on Thiruvonam (August 29), the very next day saw a sale of worth ₹93 crores”, he added.
With a financial crisis looming large, the record sales come as a huge relief as the Pinarayi Vijayan government added ₹675 crores to the state exchequer in form of taxes on liquor.
As expected, ‘Jawan’, one of the popular rum brands in the state, had the maximum takers with 6.4 lakhs litres sold in the ten days. BEVCO outlet in Thrissur’s Nedumbal recorded the highest sales with a turnover of ₹1.76 crores.
The rise in the number of BEVCO outlets and the number of premium supermarkets have been attributed to record sales figures this year.
Meanwhile, the private bars and pubs also registered three times the sales it used to get on a regular working day. Private bar owners who spoke to The New Indian stated that the high sales were on expected lines. They, however, maintained that the new liquor policy implemented by the state government has affected the industry as a whole after the government increased the bar license fees from ₹30 lakhs to ₹35 lakhs.
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“This time the liquor sales have more than tripled in most of the bars especially on the eve of ‘Thiruvonam’. But in general, the private bar owners like me are going through a difficult phase as the cost incurred in running the business has gone very high and currently there are 20 to 22 bars in my knowledge that are at the verge of closure”, said Jean Mathew, a private bar owner in Kottayam.
Currently, there are 720 private bars in Kerala. As per the state policy, only 3-star, 4-star and 5-star hotels will be permitted to operate bars and pubs.
In 2021, state liquor vendors registered a sale of ₹529 crores during the Onam season.
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