The Justice M. Ramachandran Commission, appointed by the United Democratic Front (UDF) government to look into the Kerala Abkari policy, has recommended introduction of liquor with low alcohol content and a change in the timing of bar hotels to bring down the consumption of liquor.
In a report submitted to the government, the commission said that after the lifting of prohibition in 1967, there had been a steady increase in the number of consumers, especially among the young, and the statistics indicated that the graph of consumption was steadily rising. The social habits of new generations and the increase in the income among the working class had substantially made contributions to the situation.
As far the FL3 bar licences were concerned, the youth had “monopoly at the FL3 licence.”
A number of persons apparently in the lower rungs of society were seen waiting for opening of bars in the morning. FL3 pertains to licence for sale of Foreign Liquor in Bar Hotels for consumption within the premises
The commission said at least 40 per cent of those visiting the retail liquor outlet and bars were migrant workers. The leap in the consumption of alcohol was directly “proportional to this influx.”
Migrant workersAs per the conservative estimate, the State had nearly nine-lakh migrant workers. Although drinking patterns of common man had been changing, the projection that “Keralites are extraordinarily thirsty for drinking may not be a true statement.”
