Those who drink should be given good-quality liquor, says Muraleedharan

Thiruvananthapuram: Health Minister K Muraleedharan has reiterated his firm position on liquor policy, saying that any decision on liquor taxation must be taken only after discussions within the party and the ruling front.

He said that while the government's long-term objective remains total prohibition, the necessary social environment must first be created before such a policy can be implemented. Referring to KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran's public remarks on the issue, Muraleedharan said the Congress party should decide how to respond.

"We are moving only towards total prohibition," he said. "During Oommen Chandy's tenure, the number of bars was reduced. The State is now experiencing the consequences of the unrestricted availability of alcohol over the past 10 years."

Muraleedharan said the introduction of low-strength liquor was intended to minimise its harmful effects. "That was also the rationale behind the establishment of the Beverages Corporation by the previous government," he said.

He noted that former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran, who never consumed alcohol, was in office when the Beverages Corporation was established.

"There will always be people in society who consume alcohol. The intention was to ensure they had access to good-quality products. The same principle applies to low-strength liquor," he said.

However, Muraleedharan added that this approach could not continue indefinitely, which was why the Oommen Chandy government had initiated a phased move towards prohibition.

He also stressed that the law strictly prohibits the sale of alcohol to students and warned that the government would take stringent action against anyone found violating the law.