THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the assembly on Wednesday that the state government was actively pursuing the plans to grant permission to set up pub and wine parlours to attract more investment in IT parks.
“Covid hit the state when the government was about to go ahead with the plans to respond positively to the IT industry’s demand for pubs and wine parlours. It’s often pointed out by potential IT investors that Kerala lacks the facilities that other IT hubs offer. They often point out the need for avenues for refreshments of that sort. Since the Covid restrictions have started to ebb away, the government would certainly go ahead with the plans, which we have already announced,” the chief minister told the House during the question hour.
The state government had earlier sought recommendations from IT industry bodies regarding what the state needs to do for attracting more investment in IT. Industrial bodies were unanimous on the need to open pubs and wine parlours, which they said would enliven the comparatively sedate night life in Kerala cities.
Though the demand was always on paper, successive governments were not taking a call on the same fearing criticism.
Responding to another question, excise minister M V Govindan told the House that the government was actively considering production of wine like mild alcoholic drinks. The government, he said, was exploring options to produce comparatively less harmful liquor varieties by reviving industrial units like the now defunct Malabar distillery. However, a final decision on such matters would be taken only based on wider consultations, he added.
The minister said the government has plans to start two more de-addiction centres in the state. He said several respected figures, including those in film fields were under the vicious spell of narcotics. “Narcotic consumption has become a fashion. A small section of officials in excise and other departments were found to have tacit understanding with the drug lobbies. Even high school students are drawn to substance abuse,” he said.
The excise minister also noted that the ban on student politics has brought in more evils than benefits. “Substance abuse among students is on the higher side on campuses where student politics is banned,” he said. Though many substance abuse cases are reported, it only accounts to a fraction of the real deals.
“It has been found that MDMA worth Rs 5.5 crore a kilogram is in use in the state,” he said, adding that the government was taking strict action in narcotic cases.
