Kasaragod: Officials of Kerala State Cooperative Consumers Federation (ConsumerFed) -- scouting for a place to reopen a liquor outlet far from a private bar in Cheruvathur -- were forced to beat a hasty retreat when they reached Achamthuruthi, an island on Tejaswini river.

A section of residents, led by Congress panchayat member Sreejith T V and Congress Ward President N K Krishnan, protested against ConsumerFed's move to open the outlet at Achamthuruthi. "A liquor outlet will change the character of our village. We will not sacrifice the harmony of our village for CPM's political eyewash," said Sreejith.

Achamthuruthi, an ait spread over around 85 acres, has only 436 families but it is around 8km from the private bar in Cheruvathur town.

"The government says it is pro-abstinence but is taking liquor outlets to villages. I don't understand what it is up to," he said. "If the government wants an outlet, it should be in the town," he said.

In the town, the CPM forced ConsumerFed to shut the outlet after a day's business on November 23 saying it would hamper the business of a bar, 1 km away. When CPM party secretary M V Govindan was the Excise Minister, he gave his word to bar owners that the government would not allow retail outlets near bars. Govindan told Onmanorama that it was the government's unwritten policy, an understanding with the bar owners. However, the policy is often selectively implemented.

Though Consumerfed opened its outlet on the Cheruvathur Railway Station Road without any publicity, the outlet did a business of Rs 9.42 lakh on the first day.

When it was shut down, the CPM's trade union CITU, and autorickshaw drivers went on a public protest for weeks demanding its reopening. They blocked ConsumerFed officials from taking back the stock and wanted the outlet to be opened at the same place, saying it would increase their earnings.

On January 15, the CPM held a public meeting in Cheruvathur town and the party's district Secretary M V Balakrishnan declared that the outlet would not be opened at the same place and asked the "misguided" protesters to back off. He promised that the outlet would be opened in Cheruvathur grama panchayat but away from town, where the bar is.

Jaychandran, a party supporter, offered his building to set up the liquor outlet at Palichon Junction in Achamthuruthi, a Congress bastion. On Tuesday, February 6, Excise Inspector Dileep, and ConsumerFed officials K V Venugopal and Baburaj reached the ait to survey the building. But they were met with protesters.