Thiruvananthapuram, 3rd January 2023: A source from the Kerala State Beverages Corporation Ltd (BevCo) told PTI that the state’s sale of liquor broke records on the New Year with sales over Rs 100 crore.

“It was a record for 31st December and any other day of the year till now. All BEVCO outlets, including those in high-range areas of the state, saw sales of more than Rs 10 lakh. We have never seen such sales in those areas,” the source told PTI.

In the BEVCO outlet on Powerhouse Road in Thiruvananthapuram, sales of Rs 1.12 crore were seen on the 31st. It was the highest among all outlets across the state.

There are 268 BEVCO outlets across the state. On 31st December alone, sales were around Rs 107 crore. From 22nd December to 31st December, the collection was Rs 690 crore. According to the source, in the 690, about Rs 600 crore would go to the government as tax and duties.

 According to the person, the reasons for this spike in sales are improved logistics, availability of stock and better enforcement by the Excise Department against the sale of illicit liquor.