Liquor free

The court noted that prior to the ban, the state had the dubious distinction of having 14 per cent of the total national consumption of alcohol and added that the policy was not in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. The Kerala government might be rest assured that it has done its bit for the state, but bans rarely work. On the contrary, the policy will give rise to bootlegging and hooch production, the latter being more dangerous than the former. Thousands of workers have been rendered jobless by the ban and although a 5 per cent cess has been imposed on liquor, the success of the policy will depend on how quickly these workers can be rehabilitated.