An issue-starved Opposition had, with unconcealed glee, pounced on an audio clip allegedly sent by bar owner from Idukki district Animon to members during the executive meeting of the Federation of Kerala Hotel Association (FKHA) on May 21. The audio clip purportedly sought money from bar owners to pay kickback to the Government for changing the liquor policy to include their demands for scrapping the dry-day policy and extending operations of bars from 11 pm to midnight. But the stratagem fell through with the FKHA president himself denying any such request.

According to FKHA chief V Sunilkumar, the audio clip of bar owner Animon, which alleges bribery, was made after he was ousted from the Association. The FKHA had, Sunilkumar said, requested everyone to pool Rs 2.5 lakh to purchase an office building for the organisation in Thiruvananthapuram. Animon had objected, saying that since the organisation already had a building in Kochi, there was no need for another one. The Association’s executive committee, however, rejected their contention and decided to go ahead with the purchase. Angered by the rejection, Animon had indulged in spreading lies about the so-called kickbacks to be paid to the Government. He was subsequently expelled from the association.

Distancing itself from the audio clip, and denying any move to influence the Government’s liquor policy, Sunilkumar said there was no need for the Association to resort to bribery. Both the hotel and tourism industry have been demanding the removal of dry days, which would benefit not only these two industries but others as well, especially when the Government is considering changes in the policy.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Director Sikha Surendran has refuted Opposition allegations that the proposed liquor policy was discussed at a virtual meeting convened by the Tourism Department recently. The meeting, Sikha said, attended by various stakeholders of the tourism industry was not a special meeting of bar owners. Nor was it related to the Government’s liquor policy as the Opposition is alleging. It was a routine meeting, held at regular intervals, to discuss the demands made by various tourism stakeholders.

The Tourism Director also denied the allegation made by leader of the opposition VD Satheesan that the Tourism Department had encroached into the domain of the Excise Department .Satheesan’s charge was that the Tourism Department had intervened in the liquor policy bypassing the Excise Department. Rebutting the charge, Sikha said there was absolutely no basis whatsoever for the allegation that the Tourism Department was intruding into the functions of other departments.

The rejoinder effectively proved the falsity of the Opposition’s charge. Satheesan and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K. Sudhakaran had also sought the resignation of Excise Minister M B Rajesh and Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyas. Sudhakaran’s charge was that the Government was trying to facilitate huge profits for bar owners by doing away with the dry-day policy, opening pubs in IT parks and extending bar timings.

In a prompt reaction, Rajesh, who scoffed at the allegations made by Sudhakaran and Satheesan, asked the police chief to conduct a detailed probe into the allegations. Both Rajesh and the CPI(M) also suspected a conspiracy behind the allegation.

In his response, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan rejected the allegations that there were discussions on the liquor policy. The LDF Government is yet to hold discussions on the liquor policy. This is the factual position. Yet false allegations are being propagated, he added. Govindan also claimed that the use of liquor has come down drastically compared to the UDF time.

Ironically, the Opposition’s allegations have boomeranged on them with reports revealing that the erstwhile UDF Government in Kerala had appointed a committee headed by Tourism Secretary and Labour secretary to prepare a report containing suggestions for the formulation of the liquor policy. The committee thereafter gave its suggestions which were incorporated by making amendments in the liquor policy of the UDF Government. This was admitted in the State Assembly by the then Excise Minister K. Babu himself. Needless to say, the revelations have caused acute embarrassment to the Congress in particular and other opposition parties in general, besides knocking the stuffing out of their allegations against the Government.

In conclusion, it can safely be said that yet another determined attempt to show the Government in bad light the LDF Government has failed, frustrating the Opposition’s move to launch an agitation against the LDF Government on the issue. (IPA Service)