'Give Rs 20 back'; Bevco riled with new empty bottle scheme

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The staff at the Bevco counter raised their eyes in suspicion when a man who had just bought a pint of liquor came back to the outlet with an empty bottle. When enquired how fast he gulped the drink, the man replied tersely, “How much time do you think it needs to take this down? Please give me Rs 20 and take this bottle, Sir”.

This is the new way drunkards have found to capitalise on the 20 rupees extra they have to pay for alcohol in plastic bottles. The prediction that customers would not return with an empty bottle for the extra 20 rupees fell flat on the first day itself.

Not everyone can afford the 180 ml liquor, in common parlance known as ‘Minnaladi’. Pints, half-pints and full-pints are the usual solace of commoners. Many buy liquor from a store and then transfer the liquid to another bottle so as to hand back the original bottle to the outlet and collect Rs 20. Many take this money and go for another drink. This has led to family budgets of many low-income families going helter-skelter.

Plastic bottles are being taken back at 20 selected outlets in Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur districts. Temporary employees have been assigned for this.

• Excise warns that it is illegal to buy alcohol and pour it into another bottle.

• When the seal of an alcohol bottle is broken and transferred to another bottle, it counts as spurious alcohol. If caught, you will be punished.

• Bevco provides alcohol in sealed bottles that have been inspected and verified by excise. When this is poured into an empty bottle, the authorised alcohol becomes illegal. Liquor without a seal or bill will also be in possession. If the alcohol is seized by the excise or the police, the accused is bound to serve a jail term.