Illegal sale of alcoholic beverages alleged

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DEC. 20. The Alcohol and Drug information Centre (ADIC-India) has alleged widespread sale of alcoholic beverages in the form of wines, grape juice and restorative Ayurveda tonics across groceries, bakeries and exhibition stalls in the State.

In a memorandum to the Chief Minister, Mr. E. K. Nayanar and Excise Minister, Mr. T. Sivadasa Menon, the ADIC director, Mr. Johnson Edayaranmula, said the sale of these beverages, which had between 10 and 20 per cent ethyl alcohol content, was in violation of the Abkari Act and was punishable under Section 55 of the Act with imprisonment up to 10 years and penalty of Rs. one lakh.

According to the ADIC director, bottles of wines and grape juice were selling briskly with the advent of Christmas-New Year season. Worryingly, women and children formed the vast consumer base for these intoxicant beverages, he pointed out.

Though the relevant laws stipulated that the sale of alcohol- based beverages could be only through licensed liquor outlets, alcoholic wines and juices were being freely sold at bakeries, stalls and even State-run consumer department stores, the ADIC alleged.

The memorandum, copies of which were also submitted to the DGP, Excise Commissioner and Additional Excise Commissioner, called for initiating legal action against manufacturers, distributors and retailers under the Kerala Abkari Act.

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Section  : Southern States
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