Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Excise department has registered 6,977 cases and arrested 1,770 people as part of a special enforcement drive launched ahead of the Onam festival in the state.
Excise Minister M Liju also announced that Kerala State Beverages Corporation (BEVCO) employees will be given ex gratia of Rs 1,05,000 despite the corporation's revenue being affected by the previous government's decision to increase the gallonage fee.
In a press conference, Liju said that a special Onam enforcement drive is being conducted across the state from August 1 to 31, considering the possibility of increased use and distribution of illicit liquor, ganja and other intoxicants during the festival season.
He said that of the 6,977 cases registered so far, 1,394 are under the Abkari Act, 745 under the NDPS Act and 4,838 under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).
A total of 1,770 accused have been arrested, including 1,079 in Abkari cases and 691 in NDPS cases, he said.
The seizures include 8,336 litres of spirit, 183 litres of arrack, 3,640 litres of Indian-Made Foreign Liquor, 8,518 litres of wash and 410 litres of liquor from other states.
The department also seized 66 kg of ganja, 2,423 ganja plants, 1 kg of ganja candy, 137 grams of hashish oil and 353 grams of MDMA and methamphetamine.
More than Rs 10 lakh has been collected as fines in cases related to tobacco products under the Onam enforcement drive, Liju said.
The minister said the Excise Department's anti-drug drive 'Operation Thunder' is progressing well.
"Since the UDF government came to power, 34,397 cases have been registered under the operation, including 5,932 under the Abkari Act, 3,346 under the NDPS Act and 25,119 under COTPA," he said, As many as 7,816 people have been arrested in these cases, including 4,780 in Abkari cases and 3,036 in NDPS cases.
"For the first time in the history of the state, the government has taken a decision to start a State Narcotics Control Bureau in the Excise Department. It is a first-of-its-kind decision in Kerala," Liju said.
Liju said that the department's 'Operation Shuddhi', launched on June 25 to ensure compliance with food and liquor regulations at toddy shops and tapping groves, has so far conducted 12,923 inspections and collected 1,678 samples for testing.
Seven cases have been registered in Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Palakkad and Kottayam districts.
"Action has also been taken against six foreign liquor-licensed establishments, including five bar hotels, for violations such as serving liquor before the permitted time," he said.
Liju said that discussions on the Excise policy are ongoing and that all stakeholders will be heard before a final decision is made.
Regarding the reported losses of the BEVCO, Liju said the financial setback was caused by decisions made by the previous government, not by the corporation's performance.
"BEVCO's production and sales had increased to around Rs 20,000 crore, but an increase in the gallonage fee from five paise to Rs 10 resulted in the corporation having to pay more than Rs 400 crore to the government at one go, forcing it to draw from its reserve fund," he said.
The government has approved an increase of Rs 2,500 in the ex-gratia amount for BEVCO employees, taking it to Rs 1,05,000 this year.
Liju said the government also planned to professionalise BEVCO and the distilleries under it, including Travancore Sugars and Malabar Distillery.
