Thiruvananthapuram: The liquor sales in the state dropped by 30 percent last month subsequent to the closure of a number of liquor outlets from April 1 in view of the Supreme Court ban on outlets within 500 metres from highways.
While 3.11 crore litres of liquor was sold in the state during April 2016, it was only 2.16 crore litres last month. It means a decline of 94 lakh litres (30.34 percent), according to Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) - India.
The Beverages Corporation sources said that the corporation's revenue last month was also 10 percent less than that during the same month in the previous year.
ADIC-India director Johnson Edayaranmula said in the statement that beer sale last month suffered the maximum drop of 81.4 lakh litres (53.5 percent) compared to April 2016, followed by IMFL 12.6 lakh litres (7.99 percent). Wine sales also came down by 44,000 litres, a drop of 43.5 percent.
"Instead of highlighting the monetary loss, the government should acknowledge this positive reality and consider it as a big boost for the public health and well-being of society," said Mr. Edayaranmula.
