Row brews in Kerala over lowering booze tax: ‘Youth can access more easily’ | India News

The Kerala government's revised budget proposal to reduce sales tax on low-alcohol content Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) has sparked controversy. Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who also holds the finance portfolio, cited a previous CPI(M) policy allowing such products and defended the decision as beneficial for the state. However, Senior CPI(M) leader M B Rajesh accused the government of protecting specific interests and claimed it would lead to corruption, while Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan termed the tax cut "mysterious" and feared its potential impact on youth alcohol consumption. The Excise Minister M Liju, however, clarified that the decision was made by the finance department and not the excise department.