THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a press release, Chief Secretary Dr V Venu made it clear that the rumours that there is going to be a change in the liquor policy to avoid Dry Day in the state are baseless. Dr. Venu also pointed out that a campaign is being carried out by misinterpreting the discussions held as per the instructions of the Chief Secretary about the steps to be taken to improve the economic condition of the state.

A meeting of secretaries was held under the leadership of the Chief Secretary on March 1 to discuss the steps to be taken to improve the financial situation and overall administrative efficiency of the state government. The meeting had discussed matters including the consequences of the borrowing limit of the state being reduced and issues such as reforms in ease of doing business, utilization of urban infrastructure development funds and better handling of government cases in courts. The Chief Secretary had directed that detailed discussions and deliberations are required in this regard and all the secretaries should suggest ideas, participate actively in the discussions and take necessary steps within two months after discussions.

In this meeting, various areas and topics were identified for further discussion in future to improve the financial situation of the state government. Apart from the fact that there is no liquor sale in the state for 12 days in a year when Dryday is observed on the first day of every month in the state, the issue of the state losing business opportunities like national and international meetings, incentive trips, conferences, convention and exhibition organized in the tourism sector and other sectors was also raised. The Chief Secretary instructed the Tourism Secretary to objectively assess the loss to the state through this and submit a detailed note after necessary discussions. The chief secretary also suggested that the tourism department should consult with the relevant officials and submit a note regarding the development of the tourism industry.

The Director of Tourism holds regular meetings with stakeholders regarding various issues in the tourism sector. It is a regular practice to obtain their comments, verify them and submit a report on the same. The demand to avoid dry days has long been raised by stakeholders in the industry and tourism sectors. A similar demand has been raised by stakeholders in the Excise Department. The issue of avoiding dry day was raised in the meeting convened by the Chief Secretary on January 4 to discuss matters related to the Excise Department and issues raised by stakeholders related to the liquor industry as part of Ease of Doing Business.

However, no final decisions have been taken in this regard. The measures to be taken to improve the financial situation of the state have been discussed only at the official level. The chief secretary gave instructions in the monthly meeting of the secretaries to submit a report on the measures to be taken to improve the financial condition of the state as part of the duty of the officers. This happens regularly. News is being spread as if there is going to be a change in the liquor policy by misinterpreting this, the Chief Secretary clarified.