Don’t hike liquor prices frequently, Satheesan tells State govt.

Will hiking liquor prices prompt tipplers to tipple less? According to Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan, the answer is ‘no.’ Mr. Satheesan, in a lighter vein, swerved to the topic of liquor prices amid the heated debate on the retail inflation rate in the State Assembly on Thursday. He urged the government not to increase the prices frequently.

He said he did not hold the view that hiking the price of liquor would bring down consumption. If at all, it would only increase it, Mr. Satheesan commented. “It is a mistake to think that liquor consumption will go down if the prices go up. No individual who has been taking three pegs daily has cut it down to two because of a price increase. He may even take a fourth peg out of anguish over the hike,” he said.

The only dip will be in the money flowing to households. The victims of such an eventuality, he said, would be the women and children.