Thiruvananthapuram: Good news for regular drinkers of Jawan rum, one of the most sought-after brands of alcohol in Kerala. The Kerala Government has rejected a proposal to increase its price even though it was approved initially by the Excise Department and the Chief Minister's Office.
The Kerala State Beverages Corporation or BEVCO, which is the monopolistic liquor seller in the state, had sought an increase of 10% on the price of Jawan in view of the rise in the price of spirit.
Jawan is BEVCO's own liquor brand. It is produced by the state-run distillery Travancore Sugars and Chemicals Ltd, near Thiruvalla.
The government decided not to approve the price hike as the Jawan manufacturer too is likely to benefit from the recent repeal of the turnover tax on liquor companies.
Currently, 8,000 cases of Jawan rum is produced in a day. Though it was decided to increase the production to 15,000 cases, it could not be implemented. The BEVCO plan to produce premium rum too has not taken off the ground yet.
BEVCO is the state-run firm that has monopoly in the procurement and sales of liquor, particularly Indian Made Foreign Liquor and beer, in Kerala.
