God's own country aiming to be tipplers' paradise

God's own country, as its tourism pitch claims, or not, Kerala is tipped to be a tipplers' paradise soon.

God's own country, as its tourism pitch claims, or not, Kerala is tipped to be a tipplers' paradise soon.

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If the state's Excise Minister Vakkom Purushothaman could have his way, the state would become a playground for Bacchus, with beer and wine flowing everywhere.

"Gone are the days when consumption of beer and wine was considered a stigma and today even health experts advocate that wine is good for the heart," Purushothaman said Thursday.

"Moreover the liquor (alcohol) content in beer and wine is minimal," added the khadi-clad former assembly speaker who has taken charge of the finance and excise portfolios in the Oommen Chandy cabinet.

He was responding to a question whether there would be any policy shift on beer and wine during the upcoming tourist season at his first press conference after assuming charge.

There was more for the devotees of the Bacchus as Purushothaman said the state-run distilleries, which currently had unutilized capacity, would function to full capacity by producing "good quality low priced" liquor.

"My aim is to see that for Rs.100 people should get quality liquor. Once this is done, none need to turn to spurious liquor. I am a person of action and all what I have said would be put into action soon," the minister said. The government runs 13 distilleries that have been hit by a shrinking market for their brands.

The Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC), the only agency authorised to sell liquor, including beer, other than toddy in the state, is doing a roaring business.

During the 2003-04 financial year, the KSBC's sales value increased by 12 percent over the previous year to Rs. 20.71 billion ($451.69 million). It's contribution to the exchequer increased by 11 percent or Rs.16.22 billion ($353.78 million).

The agency's sales volume of "Indian made foreign liquor" increased by nine percent during the year to touch 10.6 million cases while beer registered a record 17 percent increase touching 395 million cases during the last fiscal.

God's own country, as its tourism pitch claims, or not, Kerala is tipped to be a tipplers' paradise soon.

If the state's Excise Minister Vakkom Purushothaman could have his way, the state would become a playground for Bacchus, with beer and wine flowing everywhere.

"Gone are the days when consumption of beer and wine was considered a stigma and today even health experts advocate that wine is good for the heart," Purushothaman said Thursday.

"Moreover the liquor (alcohol) content in beer and wine is minimal," added the khadi-clad former assembly speaker who has taken charge of the finance and excise portfolios in the Oommen Chandy cabinet.

He was responding to a question whether there would be any policy shift on beer and wine during the upcoming tourist season at his first press conference after assuming charge.

There was more for the devotees of the Bacchus as Purushothaman said the state-run distilleries, which currently had unutilized capacity, would function to full capacity by producing "good quality low priced" liquor.

"My aim is to see that for Rs.100 people should get quality liquor. Once this is done, none need to turn to spurious liquor. I am a person of action and all what I have said would be put into action soon," the minister said. The government runs 13 distilleries that have been hit by a shrinking market for their brands.

The Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC), the only agency authorised to sell liquor, including beer, other than toddy in the state, is doing a roaring business.

During the 2003-04 financial year, the KSBC's sales value increased by 12 percent over the previous year to Rs. 20.71 billion ($451.69 million). It's contribution to the exchequer increased by 11 percent or Rs.16.22 billion ($353.78 million).

The agency's sales volume of "Indian made foreign liquor" increased by nine percent during the year to touch 10.6 million cases while beer registered a record 17 percent increase touching 395 million cases during the last fiscal.