Alleges major corruption in the new liquor policy

The new liquor policy of the LDF government has brought out the nexus between the LDF and the liquor lobby in the open, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said.

Addressing a district-level UDF meeting here on Saturday, Mr. Chandy alleged that the decision to increase the working hours of bars, as demanded by bar owners, was a clear indicator of the corruption involved in the new policy.

Mr. Chandy pointed out that during the UDF tenure, the LDF had criticised his government that they were raising the issue of the tourism sector to reopen the closed bars. Now the same people were raising the same reasons to open up the liquor sector, he alleged.

Referring to the findings that the use of other intoxicants among the youth had increased, Mr. Chandy said it only showed that the Excise Department was inefficient in the State.

Mr. Chandy said the government had a responsibility to take the people into confidence as to why the new liquor policy was declared at this juncture. Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and leaders of UDF partners spoke.