Kerala CM urged not to dilute new liquor policy

Christians on Sunday held a peace march in CM Oommen Chandy’s home town Puthupally, urging him not to dilute the new liquor policy, which aims to implement prohibition in Kerala in a phased manner. 

Church of South India bishop Thomas K Oommen led the march from Puthupally junction in Kottayama district. It ended in front of the Church of South India, to which Chandy belongs.  The demonstrators’ original plan was to meet Chandy, who every Sunday holds morning durbar at his ancestral home in the town. But they failed to meet him as he was in New Delhi to attend a meeting of CMs. “We are praying that those in power should not make any dilution in the recently announced liquor policy. Liquor is an evil and there should be no relaxation made in respect to the announced decisions,” Bhishop Oommen told reporters after the march. 

The march came days after Chandy said in the Kerala assembly that certain corrections in the policy would be made with regard to the tourism sector and rehabilitation of about 7,000 employees of the bars.