Every year, after Onam, a count of the liquor bottles sold by the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (BevCo) is taken. During the harvest festival, sales generally go up and nearly always beat the previous year's record. This time too, a record-breaking Rs 750 crore worth of liquor has been sold by BevCo units in Kerala during Onam, says a report by Mathrubhumi.
Despite COVID-19 numbers being high and restrictions put in place, the people of Kerala have managed to add to the state's coffer this year with large-scale orders of alcohol. The report says that the highest sale took place on the first Onam day of Uthradam–August 20–when liquor worth Rs 85 crore was bought. The buying probably came in preparation for the main Onam day of Thiruvonam–August 21–when BevCo outlets in the state would be closed.
In three outlets of BevCo, one each in Kozhikode, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, online shopping was arranged in connection with Onam. The online system proposed by BevCo to reduce the crowds was introduced last week and the pilot project ran in the three places last Tuesday. However, there is no delivery of liquor and people making online orders will have to collect it from the outlet. Users are supposed to create accounts and make their online orders in their respective districts. Once payment is also done online, they get a message with a time slot to pick up the items.
After the pilot project ran successfully, the system was continued in anticipation of the big crowd that would likely emerge during Onam. In 2020, there was a sale of Rs 520 crore worth of liquor despite the pandemic striking earlier that year. In 2019, the number was Rs 487 crore.
The online system was put in place this year after the Kerala High Court criticised the government for crowds outside liquor units that followed little or no COVID-19 protocol.