Online liquor sales: Chief Minister intervenes; will not proceed with Harshita Attaluri's recommendation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The decision to make liquor sales online is unlikely to be implemented for the time being. With the Excise Minister's strict statutory warning, Harshita Attaluri's recommendation will not be moved forward. There was opposition from community organisations, and the Chief Minister has reportedly intervened directly to end the controversies related to the sale of liquor in the wake of the upcoming elections.

Although recommendations had been made by Bevco earlier, the controversy had not been so widespread. The Chief Minister's Office intervened when the Bevco MD stood firm in her stand even after the minister clarified his stand, explaining the reasons behind it. It is reported that MB Rajesh's response was an indication of discomfort.

However, opposition party leaders are of the opinion that it is not possible to believe that a senior official like Harshita Attaluri would make a statement on online liquor sales without the knowledge of the government. Despite the government's stated goal of gradually reducing alcohol consumption, 818 new bars have opened in the state in the last 9 years. While there were 29 bars on March 31, 2016, the number of bars has increased to 847 as of January 31, 2025.