Google Gives Security Clearance To Kerala Liquor Sales App ‘Bev Q’, Set To Be Listed On Play Store

Google, the Internet services multinational, has given security clearance for the launch of ‘Bev Q’, the Kerala government app that will help tipplers in the state buy liquor.

Malayalam daily Malayala Manorama reported that Google Play Store will soon make available Bev Q app that can be downloaded by alcohol consumers in Kerala.

State-owned Beverages Corporation (BEVCO) will own the app that will help consumers to get tokens and choose the nearest outlet that will be less crowded.

The app will now be tested for a couple of days to ensure it is glitch-free before the Kerala government can resume alcohol sales in the state. Liquor outlets had suspended sales since 25 March in view of the nation-wide lockdown to curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus.

The Kerala government will likely allow liquor to be sold by outlets and private bar counters as a takeaway.

Timings of the outlets will be announced once sales are set to resume.

Google had posed six queries to Kerala Beverages Corporation (BEVCO) with regard to the security aspect of the app, developed by a startup company, Fairapp.

The startup firm responded to Google’s queries.

Kerala had planned to resume liquor sales last week and submitted the app for listing by Google on 18 May, but it got caught in a technical wrangle.

Consumers in Kerala will have to pay more for liquor once sales resume as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has raised taxes on liquor by 10 to 35 per cent.

Kerala expects to earn an additional Rs 2,000 crore as revenue from the liquor tax hike.

Kerala earns Rs 2,500 crore annually as taxes through the sale of liquor. Sales during the 2018-19 fiscal were reported at Rs 14,500 crore.

Kerala suspended liquor sales after the nation-wide lockdown was announced to tackle the spread of novel Coronavirus that had attained pandemic proportions.

In between, the state, concerned over suicides by tipplers suffering from withdrawal symptoms, planned to issue licences to buy liquor.

The move was, however, stayed by the Kerala High Court.

Till now, Kerala has reported 896 Coronavirus cases with five deaths.

The number of suicides due to withdrawal symptoms is higher than the Coronavirus deaths.

The liquor sales have also landed the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in controversy as its decision to allow private bar counters to sell liquor is seen as affecting the BEVCO outlets’ income.