The Kerala government has decided to do away with the services of the BevQ app, which was introduced to avoid crowding at liquor outlets to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The decision was taken based on a latter from the managing director of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco), citing huge losses due to the virtual queue system.
The government has accorded sanction for the sale of liquor from Bevco's retail shops without the app, by following the Covid-19 protocol, according to an order issued by the secretary, taxes department.
The 265 Bevco outlets in the state used to record sales to the tune of Rs 22cr - Rs 32 cr during the pre-Covid days. However, the sales came down by half after the app system was implemented.
The sales through the Consumerfed outlets has come down to an average of Rs 2.5 crore a day from an average of Rs 6 crore a day.
The app, which triggered a series of controversies over technical glitches and alleged corruption, was introduced in the state on May 28, 2020 when the liquor outlets were reopened after the lockdown.
The app was meant to book a time slot to buy liquor from a nearby Bevco outlet or bar. However, there were a lot of complaints that the app was assigning bars to the customers even when they were close to Bevco outlets. Bars allegedly started selling liquor to even people who don't book via the app, leading to further losses to Bevco.