In Onam Week Keralites Drank Liquor Worth Rs 624 Crore, Wednesday Saw Sale Of Rs 117 Crore

Setting yet another record for the highest liquor sale in the state, Keralites gulped down alcohol worth as much as Rs 624 crore in a week during the run-up to the Onam festival. The figures in 2021 stood at Rs 529 crore.

According to the sales figures of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation, on Wednesday, the day of Uthradam, a day before the big festival liquor worth Rs 117 crores was sold.

BCCL

Rs 550 crore tax revenue for government

Four BevCo outlets, Kollam, Iranjalakuda, Chertalai and Payyannur all belonging to the KSBC saw sales of over Rs 1 crore.

Liquor worth Rs 85 crore was sold on Uthradam last year. Liquor outlets and bars remain closed on Onam in Kerala.

With yet another record-breaking sale the Kerala Government is set to earn Rs 550 crore in tax revenue from liquor sales during the Onam season.

Taxes from sales of liquor is one of the highest revenue earner for the state exchequer.

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Studies on consumption of liquor in Kerala reveal that around 32.9 lakh people out of the 3.34 crore population in the state consume liquor, which includes 29.8 lakh men and 3.1 lakh women.

'Normal' Onam after four years

Though liquor sales shooting up during Onam is not anything new, the record business this time is attributed to how low-key the festival was in the past few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and floods.

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While COVID-19 restrictions took the sheen out of the celebrations in 2020 and 2021, the state was facing unprecedented floods in 2018 and 2019 during the Onam season.

This year, things looked much better as unlike the previous two years, people were not confined to their homes and celebrated the harvest festival.

Onam festival in Kerala

Onam is a festival connected with the return of Asura King Mahabali, under whose reign everyone lived in happiness and equality.

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According to folklore, envious of his popularity, the Devas sought the help of Lord Vishnu to get him banished into the netherworld but before going down, Mahabali secured a boon from Vishnu to visit his subjects every year on Thiruvonam Day, which this year was on September 8.

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