KOCHI: In a shocking revelation, it was learned that Malayalis consumed Rs 31,912 crore worth of foreign liquor in the last two years alone. If the total quantity is to be assessed, worry not: it is 41,68,60,913 liters in volume. These are the numbers collected from 2021 May to 2023 May. On a daily basis, Malayalis are gulping down six lakh liters of alcohol which is worth nearly Rs 50 crores. Rs 3051 crore worth of beer and wine( 16,67,23,621 liters) were sold during this two-year time.

Beer and wine worth Rs 4.36 crore are consumed daily by Keralites, that is 2,38,189 liters in volume. In this time period, BEVCO paid the state government Rs 24,539.72 crore in taxes alone. From 2015 to 2019, BEVCO was bringing some serious profits to the state exchequer. However, in the 2019-20 season, the department plunged to losses for the first time in five years. The 2015-16 season saw Rs 42.55 crore profit for BEVCO. In 2018-19 the profit rose to Rs 113.13 crores. However, in the 2019-20 season, BEVCO suffered a loss of Rs 41.95 crore. Meanwhile, the audit for the year 2020-21 and 21-22 is yet to be completed.

BEVCO publicized these numbers in a reply drafted to RTI activist M K Haridas.