Kerala:300 lorries loaded with liquor bottles wait for reopening of BevCo outlets
As beverages outlets remain closed amid the lockdown over coronavirus outbreak, 300 lorries loaded with liquor bottles were stuck on the premises of the 23 warehouses of BevCo here. As there is no parking space on the warehouse premises, some lorries with the loads are parked by the roadside.
As the vehicles are parked in places without proper security, lorry drivers have been complaining over liquor bottles being stolen. The drivers have been guarding the stock day and night.
At the same time, all the warehouses of the beverages corporations have been storing liquor bottles more than its capacity. The supply was affected due to the unexpected closure of the beverages outlets. Usually, the fresh stock was taken to the warehouses from distillery as per the fall in stock.
For taking fresh stock, a special permit must be taken from the Excise. Liquor bottles are supplied to the outlets as per demand. The liquor companies also supply fresh stock foreseeing sale season to avoid shortage of particular brands.
With the lockdown, liquor supply to bars and beverages outlets was disrupted. The lorries which carried fresh loads were stuck on road as there is no space to store new stock.
In most of the warehouses, 25 to 35 lorries are waiting for space to unload the fresh stock.
As per permit rules, the liquor bottles should be unloaded from the lorries to the warehouse which are mentioned in the permit.
Even after the lockdown came into force, lorries arrived at the warehouses with fresh stock. Though the beverages corporation authority decided to send back the stock to distilleries, it was not practically possible.
By Sisel Soman – COO
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