Kerala not to withdraw arrack ban: Minister

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 14 (UNI) Kerala Excise Minister P K Gurudasan today informed the Assembly that the government had no plan to withdraw the arrack ban in the state.

Replying to questions by Mr N Anirudhan and others, he said the ban was imposed 12 years ago and the government had no plan to withdraw it.

However, he clarified that the government would never deviate from its declared policy of action against illicit arrack and assured that it would take stern action against the sale of arrack through toddy shops to save the toddy industry, currently facing a serious crisis.

Mr Gurudasan said instead of the range based auctiong of toddy shops the government was planning to introduce group licencing system with five to seven shops in a group.

On modernising toddy tapping, he said the government had noted that the toddy shops in the state were functioing in unhygenic conditions and steps would be taken to rectify it.

UNI