What Kerala Buys More than Rice

Keralites spend more on liquor than they do on rice.

Keralites spend more on liquor than they do on rice. The state-run Beverages Corporation, which enjoys a monopoly in the supply of liquor, has become the biggest money spinner for the state government. On the final day of the poll campaign, the corporation sold liquor worth Rs 20.4 crore, a cool Rs 1.9 crore more than the average. On New Year’s eve, Beverages Corporation notched up alcohol sales worth Rs 32 crore. Liquor sales touched Rs 235 crore in a single week during the Onam festival last year. And the average revenue from liquor is Rs 6,730 crore per year. But it’d be wrong to infer that Kerala’s alcohol consumption is the highest in India. There is no comparable data for other states, so it’s difficult to make a comparison.

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Shahina KK