A political storm is gathering in Kerala over the Left Democratic Front government’s decision to issue licences to a proposed distillery and three planned breweries.
The breweries are to come up in the districts of Kannur, Palakkad and Ernakulam and the distillery in Thrissur.
Kept under wraps till the Opposition Congress exposed it, the government’s move has revived the question whether the state lacks a proper liquor policy.
A buoyed Congress, which has been in a limbo since its defeat in the Assembly elections two years ago, is now hoping the issue would help it keep up the heat on the CPM till the 2019 general election.
The government’s decision has brought back memories of the corruption allegations — following the closure of over 700 bars in Kerala — that had led to the downfall of the Congress-led United Democratic Front government in 2016.
The Left Front had made the “bar bribery” allegations against Kerala Congress leader and then finance minister K.M. Mani its main election plank.
Reports say this is the first time since 1999, when the CPM’s E.K. Nayanar was chief minister, that a government has decided to allow fresh distillery and brewery units in the state.
The CPM has contended that the Congress-led government headed by A.K. Antony had sanctioned a unit in Palakkad in 2003. But the Congress has denied this and the CPM has failed to furnish any substantive evidence.
What has been most intriguing is the secrecy surrounding the Left Front government’s decision. Nor has the government been willing to reveal the details even after admitting such allotments had been made.
As is pointed out by the Congress — the BJP is yet to join the issue — the government has no answer to why no tender was floated inviting bidders to start the ventures.
This leads to the question as to how the licensees go to know that the government intended to start new units and also how the one who submitted the application last was given the allotment first.
The government is also vague on the allocation of 10 acres to a brewery inside the Kinfra (Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation) park in Ernakulam.
Excise minister T.P. Ramakrishnan has so far failed to answer these questions except saying the “allegations are baseless”.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has not officially commented on the subject, though he was reportedly quoted as saying “no money has changed hands”, an obvious dig at the Congress. Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala had brought up the issue first.
The second-largest partner in the front, the CPI, appears undecided over its stand. State secretary Kanom Rajendran at first said his party was not consulted, but later corrected himself to say the government had the right to issue licences.
Since the CPM is known for its close association with the liquor lobby, which has considerable clout in Kerala politics, it will not be easy for the party to wash its hands off the allegations of “money changing hands”.
It becomes all the more difficult since the CPM had let loose its cadres against the UDF and Mani over the bar bribery case and had even created mayhem inside the Assembly.
If the CPM fails to come clean on the issue soon, it can dent its image politically before the general election as Kerala remains the only hope for the party nationally.
