Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco) is currently running into losses due to a decision by the previous govt to increase gallonage fee, said excise minister M Liju on Friday.Liju said Bevco’s production and sales had increased, but the sharp increase in the gallonage fee had wiped out its profits. The fee, which was five paise earlier, was increased to Rs 10.“It’s not now that Bevco started making losses. It was because of the previous govt’s decision. Bevco’s production and sales increased. But when the gallonage fee was increased to Rs 10, Bevco had to pay Rs 400 crore to govt. With this, the profit was also lost. Money had to be taken from the reserve fund and paid. That is why there was such a loss,” Liju said.Govt has decided to professionalise Bevco, said the minister. He said discussions on the state’s liquor policy had begun and would be expedited after the Onam season. Govt is preparing a list of people who will be invited for consultations on the liquor policy, Liju said. The discussions will begin in Sept and will be completed within a week, he said.The minister expressed dissatisfaction with the finance department’s decision to exclude cooperative banks from distributing welfare pensions. According to Liju, the finance department had found that distributing welfare pensions through cooperative banks had resulted in a substantial loss.“The decision to exclude the cooperative department was made by the finance department. The cooperative department has concerns over it. However, I have no opinion that the process of distribution through cooperative banks is correct. The distribution was politicised. It was then red-flagged,” Liju said, criticising the manner of pension distribution previously.
