Mangalore: Kerala has tightened the noose on licenced bars, and this has put severe pressure on the liquor market in Mangalore.
Tipplers from the neighbouring state will now come to Mangalore for their daily ‘quota’, and pressure on the border towns in four taluks, including Mangalore, Puttur, Sullia and Buntwal, is already being felt.
The Kerala government decided to cancel licences of over 400 bars in the state, restricting the liquor business to only top class hotels and the Kerala Liquor and Beverages Corporation. Before this, liquor costs there were almost double when compared to Karnataka, particularly for India Made Liquor (IML). For imported and blended brands, the cost was four times more than that in Karnataka.
In Kasaragod district, there are only two liquor outlets with classy restaurants that most people can’t afford. Following the Kerala government’s decision, there was always a steady flow of tippler traffic into Mangalore for the past ten years, but it was restricted to weekends only.
However, with the liquor ban in Kerala, even the daily tippler traffic will hit the border towns of these four taluks.
Karnataka and Kerala share a border in four taluks — Talapady in Mangalore, Vittal in Buntwal, Adyanadka- Eshwaramangala and Kumbra in Puttur and Sulliapadavu in Sullia taluks.
These major entrances to Kerala from Karnataka were dotted with a few towns and villages, and each of them have more than one liquor shop, in addition to the toddy outlets.
On NH 66, from Mangalore to Talapady, there are four towns close to the Kerala border — Talapady, Beeri, Kotekar and Thokkuttu. The bar owners and liquor store owners were rejoicing at the prospect of a booming business. They were seen ordering liquor from the state liquor and beverages corporation and stocking up to meet the demand from across the border.
The recent meeting between excise officials of the border districts in Bangalore sensitised the officials and wine merchants of the situation emerging out of the action taken by the Kerala government.
George Pinto, Deputy Commissioner of Excise, Mangalore, told Express, “There might not be a major impact on the liquor business in Mangalore due to the measures taken by the Kerala government.”
He said, “However, we are waiting and watching the situation.”
Officials in the State Beverages Corporation have also kept a watch on the lifting of stock from wine merchants in the border areas. Sankappa Shetty, secretary, Wine Merchants’ Association, Mangalore, told Express, “Due to the recent increase in the duty on IML, the prices of all types of liquor have more or less equalised in Karnataka, in addition to the five per cent VAT on the liquor stores, which has brought liquor prices on par with Kerala and Maharashtra.”
He said, “Only the Goa government has been given some excise concessions, which might continue due to its special status on being the tourism map of the world.”
