Kerala HC criticises govt over huge crowd in front of liquor outlets

The Kerala High Court has criticised the heavy crowd in front of Bevco (liquor shops) in the state. The court said that the huge crowd in front of the liquor shops sends a wrong message to the society. The court has directed the Excise Commissioner and Bevco MD to take immediate action to control the crowd in front of liquor shops.

Ernakulam: The Kerala High Court on Thursday criticised the presence of heavy crowd in front of Bevco (liquor shops) in the state and said it sends a wrong message to the society. Even though the Kerala government allowed only 20 people to attend weddings, crowds and long queues are being seen in front of the Bevco outlets, the court added..

The court also raised concerns about those standing in the queue. Hundreds of people are queuing up without maintaining social distance. Can anyone tell whether those in queue contracted covid or not, the court asked. Kerala is one of the states where the highest number of daily Covid cases are being reported. The Total Positivity Rate (TPR) is not decreasing in the state and is a matter of concern for the state.

The Kerala government aims to increase the revenue. But the health of the people is more important than revenue. The court has directed the Excise Commissioner and Bevco MD to take immediate action to control the crowd in front of liquor shops.

The HC also directed the Excise Commissioner and Bevco MD to file an affidavit in this regard before the next hearing.

Bevco MD and the Excise Commissioner appeared before Court virtually. The court considered the petition filed by the shop owners that the rush in front of the Bevco outlet on Thrissur Karuppam Road has been obstructing their trade.