MALAPPURAM: Indian Union Muslim League today blamed flaws in the excise policy of the LDF Government responsible for the hooch tragedy in Kuttippuram.

Instead of discouraging alcohol consumption, the government had been pursuing a policy of promoting liquor consumption as a major source of state revene, IUML district General Secretary Abdurahiman Randathani, MLA, said in a statement here.

He said about a month back the village panchayat had through a resolution urged the government to close down the particular toddy shop, from where the victims of today's tragedy had consumed illicit liquor, he said.

However, the Excise authorities refused to take note of the resolution and allowed the shop owner to thrive. Senior Congress leader Aryadan Mohammed said today's liquor tragedy is the result of nexus between the government officials and liquor mafia.

In a statement, he demanded that the government provide adequate compensation to the families of those died and hospitalised.