Senior Congress leader and former president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) V.M. Sudheeran has shot off a letter to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan asking him to reverse the decision to lower the taxes on low-spirit alcohol.  

In a strongly worded letter, Mr. Sudheeran said the Budget announcement, which he said aims to promote alcohol, goes against the grain of the UDF election manifesto that promised to rescue Kerala from the perils of alcohol, drugs and other addictive substances. This is a breach of the promise given to the people and therefore, should be reversed, Mr. Sudheeran said.  

He also urged Mr. Satheesan to formulate a people’s liquor policy aimed at rescuing the people from the troubles caused by the allegedly ill-conceived policy implemented by the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government.  

Protest on the coast

Mr. Sudheeran also took strong exception to the Budget announcement that seeks to prepare the mineral mining sector for private investment. This has already made the people of the Alappuzha coast anxious. Mr. Sudheeran reminded the Chief Minister of the UDF government’s withdrawal of permission to a private firm to carry out mineral excavation in Alappuzha following massive public protests in 2003.

“The coastal people protested when the Pinarayi-led government permitted black sand-mining at Thottappally under the cover of public sector enterprises. That has been stopped now following the intervention of the court, which led to the constitution of an expert committee to study the issue.  But the people have protested the composition of the committee. In view of public interest, I wrote to you on June 1, requesting a reconstitution of the committee with eligible experts,” Mr. Sudheeran wrote, asking the Chief Minister not to go head with the proposal to allow black sand-mining along the State’s coasts.