THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The punishment for showing scenes of alcohol consumption in movies without legal warning has been changed. The Legislative Assembly approved the amendment to the Abkari Act, which dispensed with court proceedings and imprisonment. The maximum penalty is Rs 50,000.

Minister M B Rajesh was optimistic about the move as he said the decision to create a conducive atmosphere for industries in the state to sprout.

As of now, scenes depicting alcohol or intoxication are normally given a legal warning 'alcohol is injurious to health' at the bottom end of the screen. Until now, breaching the rules invited imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or both. Illegal liquor advertisements are punishable with imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of Rs 25,000 or both.

But with this new amendment, violations will be made compoundable. If the video is displayed without warning or if advertisements are shown, the makers should pay a fine and it is just that.

At the same time, the minister said that no such case has been registered in the state so far. Meanwhile, the government denied the opposition's stand that relaxing the punitive steps might push more people onto the path of alcoholism. The government asserted strong belief in their formula of abstinence measures in Kerala.

“During the UDF time, the income from liquor was 18 per cent of the revenue, but today it is 13 per cent. The number of alcoholics in the state is only 12 per cent. The national average is 14 percent. The sale of foreign liquor decreased from 1149 lakh cases to 1036 cases. The number of outlets is also less."

"Anti-drug measures will be intensified on the school premises. A database of 2390 drug users was created. 61 people were taken into custody and their properties were confiscated” — Minister M B Rajesh.