Liquor shop opening stalled

Kasaragod, May 23: Another bid to open a new Beverages Corporation (Bevco) outlet near Mangad in Uduma panchayat limits on Monday met with chaotic scenes fuelled by stiff public resistance against opening the outlet.

Tense situation prevailed near the Koolikunnu locality after a large group of residents, including women and children, joined hands to vehemently oppose the moves to relocate the Bevco outlet in the densely populated locality forcing the police to resort to lathi charge on the mob numbering around 80 in the morning.

As the Bevco authorities, who were reported to have been escorted by posse of police and the Excise personnel reached the locality in five vehicles and tried to off load liquor consignments, a large number of people from nearby areas joined the agitating residents virtually leading to chaotic situation.

The injured in the lathi charge were shifted to a hospital at nearby Chengala at a time when the indefinite agitation, against the moves to relocate the Bevco outlet to the residential area from Kasaragod, entered the 75th day. The Bevco's frantic bid to relocate the outlet to a rented building in the locality comes against the backdrop of the Supreme Court ruling that all liquor outlets across the country could be operated from at least 500 metres away from the State and National Highways.

Pre-mediated moves

The pre-meditated moves by the Bevco was finally foiled albeit temporarily after the Uduma panchayat issued “stop memo” against opening of the fresh outlet in the locality.

Following the stiff public resentment, the Bevco authorities earlier this year had to make a hasty retreat keeping in abeyance their plans to shift the outlet to the residential area situated close to the Chattamchal-Kalnad road that links the national highway with the coastal State highway.