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Arrack ban won’t go: Gurudasan

ALAPPUZHA: Excise Minister P.K. Gurudasan has said that the ban on arrack in the State will continue since the government did not want to unleash any turmoil in society.

He was speaking at the inaugural function of the 29th State conference of the Kerala State Excise Officers’ Association here on Sunday.

Mr. Gurudasan said though the ban was not a practical solution, the government was looking to uphold the social responsibility vested upon it by the public.

Though there was a widespread opinion that the ban indirectly led to increase in manufacture and sale of illicit liquor, the government was not thinking of lifting the ban at the moment.

He said the government was committed to improving the standards of the Excise Department.

A high-level committee led by J. Lalithambika, former Additional Chief Secretary, had been set up to revamp the department, Mr. Gurudasan said.

The move was rooted in the government’s assessment that the performance of the department was not up to the mark, he said.

Mr. Gurudasan warned that the emergence of liquor contractors as a strong economic force could upset societal balance.

The trend of mixing illicit spirit and intoxicating drugs with toddy to make consumers addicted to the brew and thereby widen the ‘client base’ was on the rise.

Excise officials had to pull up their socks and act stringently against such practices.

He said the government did not favour the demand of a few Excise officials that criminal cases should be filed against people consuming spurious liquor.

Likening this to booking people who take ill after having contaminated food, Mr. Gurudasan said looking at the consumption of alcohol as a crime when the sale of spurious liquor could be controlled was not a practical approach.

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