Kerala tipplers smash record with Onam binge worth Rs 487 crore

Kerala tipplers smash record with Onam binge worth Rs 487 crore

Thiruvananthapuram: Tipplers in Kerala guzzled liqour worth a record Rs 487 crore sold through state-run outlets during the just concluded week-long Onam festivities.

As per the figures of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC), which retails Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), sale of liquour through its outlets netted Rs 487 crore from September 3-10, an increase of Rs 30 crore compared to the previous year.

On September 10, 'Uttradam', a day ahead of the harvest festival Onam when the outlets are shut, liqour worth Rs 90.32 crore was sold.

An outlet in Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district recorded the highest single day sale of Rs 1.04 crore on September 10 for the second consecutive year, KSBC said.

However, it was less than the Rs 1.22 crore sales turnover registered last year despite the ravage caused by the worst floods the state had witnessed in a century.

As it is a dry day on Friday on the occasion of 165th birth anniversary celebrations of the 19th century social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, long queues were witnessed in front of several outlets on Thursday.

Despite around 200 per cent tax on liqour, Kerala tops the country in its consumption and people can be seen waiting patiently in long queues for hours in front of outlets.

The State Beverages Corporation (BEVCO) reported that the August sales of the outlets had increased by Rs 71 crores in a span of one month despite the floods that wreaked havoc across the state.

Only the state government agency is authorised for wholesale and retail sales of alcohol, including beer and wine.

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.