The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala is all set to bring in a law to ban corporate retailers, both Indian and MNCs, in the state.

CPI leader and Food minister C Divakaran, the prime mover behind the new legislation, told The Indian Express that the Law department is doing the final vetting of the Bill, The Kerala State Essential Commodities Act —2007. The LDF is expected to clear it on Tuesday.

This would be the first attempt of its kind in the country. Divakaran said the Left in Kerala doesn’t intend to draw the line for big retailers at peddling food grains, as Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee did for Bengal a few days ago. It will be a blanket ban and, according to the minister, the new legislation

will more than make up for “the lack of teeth” in the Central Essential Commodities Act.

“We don’t want to tell MNCs from Indian corporates, both are bad for the state. We don’t want to go for a conditional or limited ban because we really don’t want them here at all,” Divakaran said.

While LDF sources claim the legislation is not aimed at any big corporate in particular, Divakaran is clear that the immediate provocation is Reliance Retail. In Kochi, Reliance has already opened six of its proposed 70 supermarkets and hypermarkets in the state.

“We don’t want to invite complications by revoking licences that are already issued. But all local bodies will now be directed not to licence any more outlets. We will stop Reliance in its tracks,” Divakaran said.

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