30 applications for liquor on Day 1

Kerala is working on logistics to make available supplies to alcohol-dependents

01/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,KOCHI

On a high: Kerala has the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in the country. Thulasi Kakkat

Alcohol-dependents in Kerala who succeeded in securing prescriptions from doctors to get their daily dose of booze may have to wait for one more day to get their hand on the bottle.

Since the first day of every month is being observed as dry day in the State, they may not be able to buy their quota of alcohol from the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (BEVCO) on April 1. On April 2, BEVCO may make alcohol available on production of the medical pass certified by the Excise Department.

Since the government has ordered the closure of liquor outlets, including retail outlets of the corporation, bars, clubs, and toddy shops, alcohol may have to be made available through the warehouses or godowns of the corporation, a senior BEVCO official said.

BEVCO is working on the logistics to make alcohol available based on the permits to be issued by the Excise Department. The quantity of the Indian Made Foreign Liquor to be made available will depend on the permit, he said.

On Tuesday, the first day after the government issued an order permitting medical passes for the alcohol-dependents, the Excise Department received as many as 30 applications.

“Some applications were rejected as the certificates indicating that the patient had alcohol withdrawal symptoms were issued by retired doctors. Only serving government medical doctors are authorised to issue such certificates,” said S. Aananthakrishnan, Excise Commissioner.

The role of the department is confined to the issuance of passes and the distribution of alcohol will be the responsibility of BEVCO, he said.