Key Points

For this, Kerala State Beverages (M&M) Corporation Limited (BEVCO) will collect an additional 20 rupees from customers, and when they return the bottles, the amount will be refunded.

Harshitha Attaluri also said that this year's liquor sale for the Onam season was a record, with 820 crores in sales in 20 days. The department also initiated the purchase of foreign-made liquor from three countries, and the process is underway.

"We are starting the plastic bottles deposit scheme pilot project in 20 shops in the Thiruvananthapuram district and 10 outlets in Kannur. We are sticking an extra label on the bottle, which will show the shop name and number. We will collect an extra 20 rupees as a deposit. When the bottle is returned, the deposit money will be refunded to the customer, and the bottles will be stored. The green Kerala company will assist us in disposing of these bottles," she said.

Adding further, Attaluri urged, "It is the request to the customer to return as many bottles as possible. In a span of a month, we sold 20 shops, and we sold thirty lakh bottles. Out of which Lakhs of bottles are plastic. We hope a large percentage of the bottles are returned. We are currently aiming to launch in 20 shops, and by January, we plan to expand to all 283 shops across the state. In another ten days, we will have the app, and the website will start. Apart from that, we are making bags compulsory from October 1. Customers can take their own bags or purchase one from the counter. The bag price is 15 to 20 rupees, " she added.

The Kerala Beverages Corporation MD also informed that the Onam liquor sale, the sale was excellent.

"For 12 days, sales were more than 10 per cent, reaching 820 crores, compared to 740 crores last year. So we had a good sale this year, which I attribute to the number of shops and the self-service counters which we have opened for the customers' convenience," she said.

- ANI