THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bars will be opened in the state from today. Only beer and wine will be sold. The bar owners have decided not to sell foreign liquor. The bars were closed in protest of Beverages Corporation's move to increase warehouse charges.

The Beverages Corporation raised the warehouse charge for bars from 8% to 25% and for Consumerfed from 8% to 20%. Authorities of BEVCO said this is to balance the loss during Covid time. The bars were closed for a week in protest of Bevco's action.

The bar owners' are of the stand that they cannot go ahead with the present margin. They decided to open bars as the beer currently in stock could not be sold after the date of expiry.

Though tax secretary and BEVCO MD held discussions with representatives of the bar owners' association to solve the crisis, a decision could not be taken. Although the bar owners' claim that the increase in the warehouse margin is a loss for the sale of liquor parcel, is justified, the tax secretary said the decision could not be taken immediately.