Tipplers guzzle Rs 487 crore worth liqour during onam

Tipplers in Kerala guzzled liqour worth a record Rs 487 crore sold through state-run outlets during the just concluded week-long "onam" festivities.

As per the figures of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC), which retails Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), sale of liquour through its outlets netted Rs 487 crore from September 3-10, an increase of Rs 30 crore compared to the previous year.

On September 10, 'Uttradam', a day ahead of the harvest festival Onamm when the outlets are shut, liqour worth Rs 90.32 crore was sold.

An outlet in Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district recorded the highest single day sale of Rs 1.04 crore on September 10 for the second consecutive year, KSBC said.

However, it was less than the Rs 1.22 crore sales turnover registered last year despite the ravage caused by the worst floods the state had witnessed in a century.

As it is a dry day on Friday on the occasion of 165th birth anniversary celebrations of the 19th century social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, long queues were witnessed in front of several outlets on Thursday.

Despite around 200 per cent tax on liqour, Kerala tops the country in its consumption and people can be seen waiting patiently in long queues for hours in front of outlets.

Only the state government agency is authorised for wholesale and retail sales of alcohol, including beer and wine.