Kochi, Nov 16 (PTI) A proposal to enhance the number of liquor outlets in Kerala, as suggested by the Excise Commissionerate and state-run Beverages Corporation (BEVCO), was on Tuesday opposed in the High Court here in a plea which claimed that it would increase the nuisance caused to the public at large by such shops.

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"More the availability of liquor, more is the menace," advocate Kaleeswaram Raj, appearing for the petitioner, told the high court, which said the issues in the instant plea can be taken when a similar matter is heard next week.

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Justice Devan Ramachandran, before whom the latest petition was mentioned, said he was more concerned about those people who do not drink alcohol and not those who drink it.

"I want to spare them (non-drinkers) the sight of the long queues," the judge said and added "I feel pity for the people who stand in these long queues".

The suggestion for enhancing the liquor outlets in the state by 175 more was mooted during the hearing on November 9 of a contempt plea which was filed claiming non-compliance of its 2017 judgement, directing the state government and BEVCO to ensure that no nuisance is caused to businesses and residents of an area in Thrissur due to a BEVCO outlet there.

In the latest petition, which seeks a review of the 2017 judgement, the petitioner has contended that the intent of the high court in that verdict and the subsequent orders in the contempt plea was to ensure reduction of queues outside liquor outlets and not to enhance their numbers.

"This (enhancement) will result in increased nuisance to the passengers and the public at large at public places across the state," the latest plea said.

It further said, "Increased demand for alcohol pursuant to such increased availability will result only in long queues at the proposed new counters/outlets also."

"Hence, it is pertinent to clarify that increasing the number of counters/outlets vending alcohol is not the intention as directed in the judgment of 2017 and that long queues are to be curbed not by increasing the number of outlets vending alcohol."

The Excise Commissionerate and state-run Beverages Corporation (BEVCO) had told the court on November 9 that sanctioning more outlets could ease the pressure on the existing 306 licensed liquor shops.

They had said that while in Kerala there was only one liquor outlet for 1.12 lakh people, in the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana the ratio was much less as there were thousands of shops there which sell alcohol.

The suggestion was mooted as a solution to the long queues outside liquor vends, which the high court had termed as a source of "extreme nuisance" and "great vexation" for people living or working close to such outlets.

The court had earlier said that the only option to reduce queues outside these outlets was to have walk-in shops.

"Unless you have proper shops, like that for other commodities, things will not get better. Make it like any other shop. Instead you have numerous small dingy shops on roadsides," the court had said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)