Congress lashes out at Kerala government over providing licenses to new breweries

The Congress-led opposition UDF in Kerala Wednesday attacked the Left Front government over alleged corruption in sanctioning three new breweries and a distillery and demanded a probe into it.

The new breweries and distillery were sanctioned through the 'back door' without making any changes in the CPI(M)-led LDF's declared liquor policy, Leader of the Opposition in the assembly Ramesh Chennithala told reporters here.

He alleged that crores of rupees were taken as a bribe to accord sanction for the units and demanded a comprehensive probe into it. He also sought an explanation from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Chennithala sought to know why the government did not float tenders for sanctioning new breweries and a distillery and instead "kept it a secret."

Besides sanctioning new breweries and a distillery, the government has also given permission for two existing breweries in Kannur and Thrissur to increase their capacity, he charged.