By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference (KCBC) Monday protested against the proposed liquor policy of the state government which, it fears, will lead to more toddy and liquor shops.
“We are aware that the present Left government is going to bring wholesale changes in the new liquor policy that would come into effect from the next fiscal. This is totally against the already announced policy of the government,” Archbishop Susaipakiam told reporters here.
“We have decided that on Wednesday we, the KCBC, will observe a fast at Kochi,” he said.
“Already they have opened nearly 1,600 toddy shops, which were closed previously. Currently in Kerala the availability of toddy is so little that it cannot be supplied to even half of the toddy shops,” Susaipakiam said.
“Several leading people from different walks of life will join us in the fast and that would be the first step in our fight against the wrong policies of the Left government when it comes to liquor,” the archbishop said.
“We are all aware that it is the liquor barons that support political parties. Successive governments in Kerala want to please these liquor barons,” added Susaipakiam.