Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 3 (IANS): The Thamarassery Bishop of the Catholic Church, Remigius Maria Paul Inchananayil has lashed out at the Kerala government for its new liquor policy.

The government had announced that the state-controlled Beverages corporation will open more outlets and bars in the Information technology parks in the state. The state government had also announced that microbreweries would be allowed to function in the state.

Bishop Remigius Inchananayil had earlier showered accolades on the Chief Minister and had even said that if Pinarayi Vijayan had become the Chief Minister 25 years ago he would have transformed the state into a modern one.

The Catholic Bishop told the mediapersons on Sunday that the church would have to strongly oppose the government's stand on liquor and said that more liquor shops meant more people becoming addicted.

He said that the church can never sit idle when the people's welfare is at stake due to the wrong policies of the government.

The sudden volte-face by the Bishop is seen as an expression owing to the stiff opposition that the Catholic church has been putting up against the consumption of liquor. More than this the waning popularity of the LDF government in the K-Rail issue would also have led to such a statement from the Bishop.

The LDF government has been facing a major crisis over the high-speed K-Rail project and the government is facing stiff resistance from all parts of the state against the proposed land survey by the K-Rail authorities.

While the Chief Minister had taken a strong stand that the project, which will cost the exchequer around Rs 1.25 lakh crore, would be implemented at any cost, the opposition has unitedly opposed the project.