Kerala govt’s low-alcohol budget plan faces flak

Kozhikode/Kottayam: Thalassery archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany and Metropolitan of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Yuhanon Mar Diascoros opposed the budget proposal to levy a lower tax on low-alcohol beverages in state.Pamplany said such policies, which promote alcohol consumption, are unacceptable. “The attempt to make alcohol readily available in state under the guise of ‘low-strength alcohol’ is unfortunate. Such a stance will lead to a setback especially when govt is undertaking major, anti-addiction initiatives like Toofan,” he said, adding that the Church believes that govt will reconsider the proposal.Pamplany said the new govt cannot evade its responsibility by claiming that it is implementing the previous regimes’ policies.

“The new govt should be able to distinguish what’s right and what’s not. The Church had expressed its disagreement when LDF govt implemented its liquor policy. It is not right for UDF govt to now introduce a system under the cover of LDF regime’s policy. Though LDF govt had attempted to reduce the tax on low-strength liquor, it is my understanding that it backed out due to opposition within LDF.

Therefore, it is not right for this govt to adopt such a stance,” he said.

Pamplany said the Church’s anti-liquor committee had brought this issue before the govt and the Church is mooting further course of action in this regard.Meanwhile, Diascoros said the budget proposal to grant tax concessions to low-alcohol beverages is a dilution of the fight against intoxicants. “Intoxicants need not be classified as low-strength or high-strength. All intoxicants are poison. Many of our children fall into the grip of deadly drugs after taking small intoxicant candies.

The argument that if low-strength liquor is made available, the youth will skip deadly intoxicants is illogical.

People gave a big majority to UDF govt to do something good for the people,” he said.“The Church is against intoxicants irrespective of which govt assumes office. Society and the Church expect continued welfare-oriented policies from a govt that announced exemplary decisions such as free travel for women and a senior citizens department. We assume that it will correct its mistake. It is a good sign that people like V M Sudheeran are standing as a corrective force on such issues,” he said.