THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The plan of the Beverages Corporation to launch cheap and quality brandy after Jawan Rum will be delayed. The project is to renovate the closed Malabar Distilleries (Chittoor Cooperative Sugar Mill) at Chittoor, Palakkad and manufacture brandy. The project report was prepared by KITCO. A six-line compounding blending and bottling unit was set up to produce 15,000 cases of brandy per day by the end of this year. The fund of Beverages Corporation will be used for the plant.

Kerala Police Housing Construction Corporation Limited has been entrusted with the task of building renovation, tank construction, blending and bottling unit and water filter tank. The tender procedures of many of this been completed. It is expected that the production of alcohol will start in the next financial year.

Steps are also being taken to increase the daily production of Jawan rum. The challenge is the scarcity and increasing prices of spirit. The land of Malabar Distilleries is around 110 acres and the cost of the plant is Rs 25 crore.