Post-lockdown, booze sales in Kerala have gone too wobbly to give the Rs 14,508-crore Bevco its usual daily revenue high. It is virtual queue mobile app BevQ that’s in the eye of suspicion, as the tippler has stopped to pitch in his daily Rs 38 crore contribution to the Kerala exchequer through its liquor vending arms Bevco and Consumerfed.
Based on the last 8 days since liquor sales resumed through BevQ app for social distancing, Bevco and Consumerfed have sold liquor only a daily average worth Rs 22.75 crore. The two state government outfits usually log a daily average sales worth `38 crore, says Bevco sources.
Post-lockdown, the sales have dropped 40% ( in value terms). Bevco’s turnover in last fiscal was to the tune of Rs 14,508 crore, Rs 1,568 crore higher than the previous year. The Kerala government is likely to drop the services of the BevQ app, if Centre allows bars to serve liquor. Currently, the Kerala government allows its 576 private bars to sell liquor as takeaways only.
The state government takes its fall in revenue, following the use of the virtual queue app, seriously, especially since the data on the diversion to takeaway sales through private bars is yet to be available. One allegation is that the token priority of the queue app goes to private bars, at the cost of Bevco and Consumerfed.
Bevco MD Sparjan Kumar confirmed that he has sought an explanation on the functioning of the app from Kerala state start-up mission that commissioned the app developer. For the state-run Bevco, booze-retailing is the bread and butter, although it is the wholesale supplier to the private bars too. While the retailing fetches 20% commission, the private bars give only 8% commission.