Ban on alcohol: Shashi Tharoor criticises Kerala govt

New Delhi, Sept 2: Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram

on Monday criticised the

government over its decision to

in the state, saying the move would hit tourism and the earning from it, an IBN report said.

The two-time parliamentarian and former Union minister said though the decision taken was a popular one, there are issues that the people are yet to grapple with, according to the report. He said the decision to ban alcohol would mean a huge loss in revenue for 22 per cent of the revenue comes from alcohol excise. The result would a cut in the social services in the state, feared Tharoor.

The former diplomat said there was a political competition to prove who is holier and the thinking was lost as a result. He added that the experiment to ban alcohol worked in Gujarat and Manipur but failed in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and even in the United States.

Tharoor said the ban would only hit the state's revenue & tourism

Tharoor said one needs to ask himself what made the move to ban alcohol succeed in some places while fail in others. " The Tamil Nadu government has declared that they'll open TASMAC (liquor shops) outlets along Kerala-Tamil Nadu border to cater to the thirsty kerala consumers, so Kerala will not drink less but the excise duty will go to Tamil Nadu instead," the report quoted the Congress MP as saying.

Oneindia News