Kerala will allow liquor outlets across the states to open from Wednesday and also let bars sell alcohol on retail price, the excise department said on Monday, for the first time since a lockdown was put in place from March 25.
A tipplers’ paradise, Kerala had earlier refused open outlets fearing a mad rush during the lockdown.
Consumers can buy alcohol, which is one of the main sources for revenue of the state, online as well. They will be allotted time-slots and allowed to enter the shop premises only during that period.
Many prohibition activists and others had asked the government not to sell liquor during the lockdown. And the opposition also has criticised the move to sell liquor through bars.
After the lockdown, Kerala had reported suicides over the non-availability of alcohol.
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